A Witch's Mortal Desire (A Distant Edge Romance Book 1)

by Chloe Adler

  I bounced and tried to climb up toward the headboard but he shook his head and the seriousness of his expression froze me in place.

  “Remove all your clothing and lay facedown.”

  I sat up and crossed my hands over my chest. I did not like being told what to do. So why was my entire body flushed?

  “This is not a debate and there will be no discussion.” He pointed at me. “Now.”

  The force and depth of his words hit me hard. Practically spellbound, I felt compelled to do his bidding. Without uttering a peep, I complied.

  In a few moments I was lying naked, facedown on his red paisley comforter.

  “Pull yourself up to your knees and raise your ass into the air.”

  I expected to feel his hard prick push inside of me, but instead, I felt his velvety tongue lapping at my slit and upwards along the crease of my backside. His tongue pushed its way into my anus as I rocked toward it. His hands spread me open even further.

  He continued to lick my ass while his fingers worked skillfully on my clit and inside of me, pumping, then vibrating, then pumping again. Like he was tickling me from the inside. I was raw and vulnerable, completely open and transparent to this man. I wasn’t used to being the one in a powerless position. The sensations were so strong and overwhelming I couldn’t focus on anything for long but the magic. I moved with his mouth and hands, grinding into them.

  Suddenly my emotions for him bubbled up and my entire body flooded with a pink warmth. A glow. A feeling of safety and belonging. If I’d been familiar with these feelings, I might not have even noticed them. For a brief moment the emotions almost overwhelmed the sensations, but instead, they merged together and my body filled. That’s the only way I could explain it. Instead of being emptied or feeling empty, like I often did after sex, I was filled up with love, with lust and with the delicious moment of powerlessness and trust.

  At that moment my orgasm exploded, and as I bucked and writhed beneath him, Ryder held me closer and tighter until I melted into him, releasing again and again. Filling, releasing, filling, releasing. Like he was reaching his entire hand inside of me, and maybe he was, to pull all the remaining desire out. And still, I kept orgasming. My body released wave after wave of exquisite pleasure.

  Something palpable had changed inside of me, maybe during or right afterwards, I didn’t know. I was physically stronger, and more aware. Like a veil had been removed from my vision and I could actually see clearly for the first time in my life.

  He kissed my face lightly and purposefully, those tiny little butterfly kisses that belied his dominant personality.

  A sigh I didn’t realize I’d been holding escaped through my lips and with it, tiny little butterflies flew out of my mouth and fluttered around the room.

  Instead of sitting up and exclaiming, “What the . . .” as I would have expected, Ryder reached his arm around me and lightly petted my hair.

  “Your powers.” Two words. No judgment. No questions.

  “I’ve never had powers before.”

  I said it because I wanted answers if he had any. Among my friends and other Signum, I was afraid to admit my failings. But with Ryder, a human, I didn’t feel judged. Plus I knew he adored me for me and not for a version of who he wished me to be. For the first moment in my entire life, I felt truly seen and accepted. I didn’t have to hide anymore.

  Leaning into me again, holding himself up on one elbow, he played with my curls and touched the sides of my face, so gently, so lovingly. I stretched out like a big dog lying in the sunlight.

  “My family taught me a lot, including that most other witch families hold their secrets close. Sometimes a very powerful witch can come into her powers later in life,” he said.

  I propped myself up on my elbows. “Do you think that’s what’s happening to me?”

  “I don’t know. In all of the texts it happens to girls when they first menstruate, not at your age.”

  I lay down again. “Oh.”

  “It doesn’t mean that it’s not possible, Sadie, and honestly, whatever the reason, who cares? It’s happening and it’s awesome.”

  “But if I don’t understand why, how can I control it and how can I be confident it won’t suddenly disappear again?”

  “I’ve never heard of a witch’s powers disappearing after they manifest. Controlling powers takes practice. I remember when my mom was teaching my sister. It took a lot of discipline and training.”

  I smiled at him and pulled him toward my lips.

  Instead of kissing me, he pulled away, gently. “That’s not why you came here.”

  Holding his dark gaze, I nodded solemnly. “No, it’s not. I need your help.”

  “Anything.”

  “The Scrim.”

  Breaking my gaze, he looked away, his brows furrowing in thought.

  “Tell me what’s going on, Ryder. I told you my secret.”

  “I can’t. It’s not because I don’t want to. It’s because I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Too late for that. He has my sister, my father and my best friend.”

  Ryder pushed off me and stood next to the bed, his hands mussing his curls, before looking back at me.

  “He has my mother and sister as well.”

  Chapter Twelve

  There was so much I didn’t know about this man, I chastised myself as we walked down the dock together back to the parking lot. A paramedic? What kind of self-absorbed person was I to sleep with someone more than once and not ask what they did for a living? I almost jumped when he put his arm around me, which reminded me again that I was in new territory now. There were no rules. No playbook. No manual.

  “Meet you at your house?” He walked over to a gorgeous black Mustang convertible, effortlessly hopping over the closed door.

  I ran my hand along the side of the spotless surface. “Nice beater.”

  He laughed deeply, from the belly. It sounded protective, like thunder rolling through the sky.

  “From the sixties?” I asked.

  “She’s from 1968.” He couldn’t hide the pride in his voice.

  “Name?”

  “Maleficent.”

  “Nice.”

  “Yours?”

  “Cotton Candy.” I licked my lips suggestively.

  “Ha. Okay, sexy, let’s get going. You first.” He turned to watch me, his arm hanging down, tapping the side of his car door. He waited for me to jump on my Vespa and start her up.

  Ten minutes later, I parked Cotton Candy at Casa Mañana and we walked toward the darkened house together. My pocket vibrated before we reached the door.

  “What is it?” Ryder asked when I read the text, shaking my head.

  “Burgundy is on her way back here without Chrys.”

  “Why?”

  I shrugged, about to text back when a second one came through. I read it aloud. “ ‘Your mom kicked me out before I finished explaining. Can you try?’ “

  “Let’s go.” Ryder turned around and walked back to Maleficent.

  He opened the car door for me first and waited until I’d slid onto the black vinyl seat and clipped my seatbelt before closing it. Gentleman. Hot.

  As we drove the short distance along Discovery, the glittering ocean to our right, the wind whipped my hair around my head like a mini tornado. A few minutes later, we pulled into my mother’s small circular driveway and he turned off his beast.

  “I’ll be right back,” I said to him, opening my car door.

  He held up his hand. “Wait a minute.” He undid his belt and slid closer to me, gently twisting my shoulders to face him. “I don’t like the idea of you going into that house alone.”

  I tried to shrug him off and laughed. “If Aurelia turns me into a frog, I’ll jump out the window and into the car. The top’s already down.”

  “Not making me feel any better.” He put his arm around me and pulled me in. His fingers found my amulet. He placed a tender kiss on his pinky and touched it to the charm. “Do yo
u think this will protect you from all harm, including Aurelia?”

  “We’ll find out.” Pecking his cheek, I pulled away.

  “Not helping . . .”

  “I have to do this. You wanna come with me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you hang back a little? You know how she feels—“

  “—about humans, yes, yes. Sadie, you told me already. I get it.”

  We walked to the front door, holding hands. Instead of using my key, I rang the bell. Aurelia had an old-fashioned chime that rang long and loud, like a gothic oboe.

  Chrys opened the door a crack, her eyes red from crying. “What are you doing here? Burgundy just left.”

  “Why aren’t you with her?”

  “What can I possibly do except be in the way?” Chrys sniffed, sounding congested, and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

  “We need your help, Chrys, and maybe Mom’s too.”

  Chrys suddenly looked concerned, her mouth opening and closing like a fish gaping air.

  Aurelia’s voice rang out from inside, asking who it was.

  “It’s for me,” Chrys called back and stepped outside, closing the door behind her a second after Armageddon slipped out. Wearing powder-blue sweatpants, she did not look ready to go anywhere.

  Chrys spied Ryder and her mouth tightened. “You brought your boy toy? To our house? During a crisis? Shame on you.”

  Ryder shook his head but said nothing. Instead, he bent down to pick up the cat rubbing against his legs.

  “Didn’t Burgundy fill you in?” I asked Chrys impatiently, ignoring the slight.

  “She told me that the Scrim has Iphigenia.”

  “Did Burgundy tell Mom that too?”

  “I told Mom and she said I’m not allowed to help. She said she won’t lose me too. She made Burgundy leave.”

  “We have an idea, Ryder, Burg and I, but we need your help.”

  “Ryder?”

  “Yes, this is my boyfriend Ryder.” He was trying not to smile. “Ryder, this is my older sister, Chrys.”

  Ryder extended one hand, the other cradling the cat. Chrys reluctantly took it.

  “Nice to meet you, Chrys,” he said politely. She winced.

  “Ryder, can you fill Chrys in out here while I go try and talk to Aurelia?”

  Ryder nodded but reached out and squeezed my hand once before I pulled away from him. I left the front door open in case anything got out of hand. That way he could hear me if I screamed. Looking back, I saw him petting the furry creature. Great. Now I’d be allergic to him until he washed up.

  The inside of the house was warm and I followed the smell of jasmine to the kitchen. She was sitting at the table, looking into her crystal ball. When I entered, she looked up, almost startled. She had not expected it to be me.

  “Did you find Iphi?” I asked her, tilting my head toward her crystal.

  “No,” she said sternly, passing a hand over it. Whatever she’d been looking at cleared, turning the ball off. The gesture assured me that she was lying, trying to hide something.

  “A few of us want to try to get her back.”

  Her laughter was shrill. “What can any of you possibly do against him?”

  “I don’t know, Mom, but we have to try.”

  “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. So then you’ll all end up imprisoned, or worse?”

  “What do you suggest?”

  Aurelia sucked in a deep breath and held it. “I suggest that you let the authorities deal with him. I’m scrying to find his lair. Sheldon is waiting to hear back from me, and as soon as I can pin the bastard down, they’ll go inside and rescue our citizens.”

  “Why haven’t they done that already?”

  “What do you mean? They don’t know where he is, they’re trying to find him.”

  “Or Sheldon, as police chief, hasn’t cared before now since it was humans that vanished, but now it’s our own.”

  “And why should he care about humans? Why should any of us?”

  “Did you forget that you were married to one?”

  A whoosh of air flew out of her nose but she didn’t respond to my question. Instead, she said, “I forbid you and Chrys to get involved and that’s that. You’ll thank me later.” Aurelia quickly pushed her chair back and reached for me but her hands bounced back just like when the vampire on the docks had tried to grab me. The amulet. “Sadie,” her voice was suddenly so sweet she could have attracted an entire colony of ants, “take off your amulet.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” I shook my head at her. “No, I won’t remove it. But I do need to ask you about my powers.”

  “You don’t have any powers. You’ve never had any.”

  “Then why can I do this?” I threw my hand up and a dozen or more of her spice bundles fell to the ground.

  She gasped before regaining her composure. “Parlor tricks. Nothing more.” As her eyes darted around the room, I realized she was looking for another way to stop me. I didn’t have time to find out what she knew, I had to get away before our rescue group was down to three.

  Armageddon must have been tired of Ryder’s petting because he entered the kitchen, meowing and rubbing against my legs. Why did that cat insist on tormenting me? Feeling a little silly because I couldn’t come up with a better plan I bent down, picked him up and tossed him at Aurelia. She caught him at the same moment I fled from the house.

  I flew through the front door, yelling for Ryder and Chrys to get into his car. Luckily, Ryder had quick enough reflexes for the both of them.

  Our house was dark and silent when I turned the key in the lock. I shot Ryder and Chrys a look.

  “Where’s Burgundy?” Chrys asked. “Shouldn’t she be here?”

  “I thought so,” I said as Ryder protectively wrapped his arm around me and pulled me over to the side, then pushed the door open slowly.

  “Chrys, wait outside for a minute,” he barked at her.

  I was slightly afraid to step inside behind Ryder into the pitch-black room. Instantly all of the lights switched on, causing both of us to jump.

  “What the—?” Ryder looked into the empty room and then back at me.

  “I only thought it,” I said.

  “I’ve heard of this.” Ryder narrowed his gorgeous, somber eyes.

  “What?” We walked into the house together. Ryder motioned for Chrys to follow.

  “The way it was explained to me is that a spell can be cast in many different ways.”

  “That’s true,” Chrys piped up.

  “What does that mean exactly?” I asked them both.

  “It depends on the witch. The type of casting depends on what clan he or she is born into.”

  Why didn’t I know more about this? “You mean different types of witchcraft? Like Vodun, Shamanic, Druidic and Wiccan?”

  “Something like that,” Ryder responded, looking over at Chrys as we all walked through the living room and into the kitchen.

  Trying not to bristle, I manually switched off a few lights on our way, giving the house a more reasonable ambiance.

  “There are a lot more types of practices, but yes,” Chrys added as she walked to the stove to heat the kettle. “Some are spell casters like us but even that can be done in different ways. And then there are those who work only with tarot cards, runes or poppets, stuff like that.”

  “And within the spell casters?”

  Ryder looked at Chrys, who offered him a quick nod before he spoke. “Within casters, it’s my understanding that the most powerful need only to think a spell, but that’s rare. Intention casting and writing a spell are the most difficult. A witch has to be very strong for either of those to work.

  Chrys grunted in agreement. “Most use different levels of ceremony. Casting circles and spells.”

  I was trying very hard not to be upset that my human boyfriend knew more than me about witches. “And most witches are Wiccan, like us, right?”

  “Most witches a
re Pagan,” Chrys corrected me, not turning around. I felt like a complete idiot. I didn’t even know the difference.

  Ryder continued, “The other factor, I was told, is the witch themselves. Some are just more powerful than others, like your mother. A witch’s age has a lot to do with it too, but more than that is a witch’s lineage.”

  Chrys turned to face us. Her eyes flashed with anger, but she said nothing.

  “Then why aren’t Chrys, Iphi and I the same? Power wise.”

  “I don’t know,” Ryder said, walking over to me and placing a kiss on my cheek.

  “Iphi and Chrys seem to have similar powers.” But Iphi was much better at controlling hers, I didn’t voice aloud.

  “Enough. This isn’t the time for a lesson on witches. Go get your ball,” Chrys snapped at me.

  I bristled. “Why so angry?”

  Ryder put his hand on my arm, leaning into my hair. “Ignore her, sweetheart. This is more important.”

  I spun around as quickly as I could without looking at my sister and ran to my bedroom. Maybe she was upset because she had to teach me something. But wouldn’t that just feed her superiority complex?

  In my bedroom I changed out of the too tight jeans and sweatshirt I’d worn to the docks, shrugging into a flirty skirt and blouse. Was I changing for him? No way. Ignoring that thought I clasped my crystal ball in both hands and walked back to the kitchen.

  When I returned, Ryder was pouring the boiling tea into two cups that Chrys held up for him. The water created steaming vapors of clouds that dissipated upwards.

  Ryder and Chrys seemed to be getting along very well. I made a mental note to ask him about it later.

  “Why the ball?” I asked Chrys, raising it to eye level. It was as clear as a window.

  She walked to the table and placed the mugs down. Then she sat on a wooden chair. “First we have to see what Mom is doing.”

  My phone pinged and I pulled it out of my pocket for a glance.

  “It’s Burgundy,” I said, reading her text. “She went to the V Club to pick up Jared. He escaped. Thank the universe!” I clapped my hands together, bouncing up and down.

  “Now you can relax a little,” said Ryder.