“It’s Melanie.”
That caught Seb’s attention even more. “Tell me.”
“I never wanted this, you know. I thought I could just live my life without any kind of bond-mate, always moving from one woman to the next, and it’s never done me wrong. In fact, I plan to return to it as soon as I have the Melanie situation figured out.” Justin wasn’t sure if he was telling Seb or convincing himself, but he continued on nonetheless. “the problem is that on Friday, my ex, Kelsey, came in my office and put me in a particularly compromising situation despite my efforts to get her to back off. Melanie came in and assumed the worst.”
“Can you blame her?” When Seb asked like that, it made Justin think. Seb didn't ask the question lightly, and it would be a mistake to answer it lightly.
“I want to. I want to say that she should trust me, but I guess she has no history to fall back on but a tale of me doing precisely what she thought she saw.” The energy seemed to drain out of him all at once, and Justin slumped into a chair in front of his brother's desk.
“You feel like you could have done more to ward off Kelsey,” Seb observed, a statement rather than a question.
“You know I hate it when you read my mind without telling me.”
“I’m not using my magic. I’m being your twin who knows you better than anyone else. Anyway, continue.”
“Part of me thinks I should go apologize and try to make things right, part of me thinks I have nothing to apologize for, and the last part of me thinks it would all be easier if she just left and I can get back to the life I was leading before I was so interrupted with a bond-mate I was trying to avoid finding.”
Seb looked thoughtful. “You know I try not to read minds if I’m not invited or if it’s not necessary. Your wife, and make no mistake, she is your wife, was radiating her emotions so loudly Friday night that I couldn’t avoid sensing them. She was feeling very hurt and distressed, and I am glad you came to explain that to me before I had to hunt you down to find the reason. I've been busy lately, but you were rapidly moving up the list the longer you left things on bad terms with your wife. I also know that I felt her leave soon after the fight.”
“What?” Justin stood up so quickly his chair clattered backwards onto the floor.
“I expect it’s because of what happened Friday, but she went beyond the distance I could sense her in early Saturday morning. She probably got on an airplane, but I can’t confirm that, only that she’s no longer near here.”
“To make matters worse, huh?”
“I think you’ve succeeded in that well enough on your own.” Seb seemed disappointed. One thing Justin had tried hard not to do, no matter what his devil-may-care attitude may have been like, was disappoint his twin. Now, apparently, he had finally done it.
“What should I do, Seb?”
“Are you asking as a member of the Coven, as my second-in-command, or as my twin?”
“As your twin. I feel like I’ve screwed everything up, and yet I’m still not sure if I should or could put it to rights.”
“As your twin, the one who knows you most and loves you best, I think you’re being too hasty. A bond is a precious thing that many witches search their entire life for and many of them never find it. Did you even consider that maybe there’s something in that bond, and in Melanie, that would make giving up the single life worth it? As your twin, I would say you need to reevaluate your priorities in life and see if you’re willing to give this gift a shot. And you didn’t ask, but as Duke, I can tell you that particularly in this trying and convoluted political and magical situation, an air witch of her power could prove a very strong asset for our side. Also as Duke, I can hint that there's confidential happenings that are going to be going on soon, and she's right in the middle of it.”
“I see.”
“I don't know that you do. You need to take some time to harness your emotions and see what you really want to do. I’m not going to make this decision for you, but I’ll support you no matter what path you take. I can at least do that as your twin.”
“Appreciated, man.”
Justin headed up to his room and begin making lists of possible things to do and the positives and negatives of each course of action. By dinner, he still hadn’t come to a conclusion.
At precisely six on Tuesday evening, Carol Haymaker, Los Angeles’ strongest local water witch, showed up at Melanie’s apartment. Melanie knew her from the community, and she was a kind woman who was always up for healing or helping, so she was glad that Carol could come, especially at such short notice.
“I rushed to get here. Sorry if I’m late.”
“Not at all; you’re right on time. Let me get you some water.”
“Please. And if you would, could you get me the diet Dymphna designed for you?”
“Sure.”
After she read through all of Dymphna’s notes, Carol nodded. “Very good and very thorough. I approve.”
“She’ll be glad to hear that.”
“And the baby’s father?”
“Doesn’t know. I’m not ready to tell him yet, and the Wards have agreed to keep my silence.”
“Very well. I don’t know much about Justin Ward as a person, but I’ve heard that he’s a very strong water witch. It might help to have someone like that on your side.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Melanie's tone clearly said that keeping it in mind was as far as that would go.
“Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to do a little silent meditation and examine your condition. If I’m going to help you, I’ll need to see what we’re dealing with.”
“Go ahead.”
Unlike Dymphna, who only took a few moments to make her assessment, Carol took a full fifteen minutes before she spoke. “The baby is less than a month old, and is just barely starting to grow.”
“Yes.”
“Even with bed rest and Dymphna’s diet, once the baby starts growing faster and larger, your body will never be able to keep up with the amount of magic that is needed to both maintain your systems and let the baby grow. Your own magic is so strong that your body is hard-pressed to keep that up, much less another's needs. Plainly speaking, unless you get regular infusions of magic, you’ll miscarry, and possibly hurt yourself in the process.”
“What?” Melanie was aghast.
Carol continued. “As Dymphna said, a baby born of two among the most powerful witches in America is going to be a powerful witch. If it can get as much magic as it needs. Some extra magic might help keep it alive, but it will never reach its true potential as a witch unless the baby gets enough energy flowing through its system to prepare it for its future as a witch. It's an amazing opportunity for the community of witches, but it's going to be an amazing hell on your body in the interim.”
“So what are you saying?”
“Neither I nor any witch in this area has enough magic to spare to help you enough to help you with that level of a strong witch baby. Blood calls to blood, and a family member’s magic would be more potent. Do you have any family that are water witches?”
“No. My father is fire, and he would be the only family really to speak of, even if he hadn’t disowned me.”
“I’m trying to be blunt here so that you don’t misunderstand. I'm not trying to be cruel. But your only hope is getting magic from Dymphna or Justin. She’s the baby’s aunt, and a damn sight stronger than I am. I can get you through adequately for now, but by the time the second trimester rolls around, I don’t believe that all the witches here working together or in shifts could spare enough to give you what you need.”
Melanie was flabbergasted. “I didn’t expect that.”
“Neither did I. Call Dymphna and put her on speaker phone. We need a plan and there’s no time to lose.”
Because of the time difference, Dymphna was still at work, so she took a few minutes to secure her privacy for as long as the three of them needed to talk.
“Hello, Carol. Haven’t heard from you
in a long time.”
“Indeed, it’s been too long. Now I’m here with Melanie, and we’ve been discussing her baby.”
“Ah.” The syllable was poignant.
“I hate to say it, but it’s going to need a blood connection and more power than I can bring to bear to get her through this pregnancy.”
“Damn. I had really hoped otherwise.”
“I feel bad about this, but I’m not going to pretend to do something I can’t, especially not when a baby's health potentially in danger.”
“What are we going to do?” Melanie asked.
“How long can you help her?” Dymphna asked Carol.
“Another month, maybe two.”
“That’s your time-line, Melanie. I can’t get away from work to come to LA, so you’re going to have to come back to Boston. We’ll get you a room in Ward Manor, and you don’t have to see Justin if you don’t want to. But before that month, maybe two, is over, you need to be here so I can help.”
Melanie felt her stomach drop. “Damn.”
“I know. I hate to uproot you like this, but we really need to or I wouldn’t ask.”
“I understand. Well there’s nothing holding me here in LA, really. I would be of more use to the Coven's publicity campaign there too. I might as well make another plane reservation and come back out there in a few days. I’ll just need to pack up stuff and I suppose ship it out to the Manor for the next nine months.”
“Indeed. Carol, can you give her enough magic to make it until she can get here?”
“Certainly.”
“Then that’s settled. I’ll tell Skylar, and I need to get back to work. Is there anything else?”
“No. I’ll call you and Skylar when I have made the flight plans.”
“Excellent. I’ll see you soon. Carol, good to hear from you.”
“Likewise.”
After the conversation, Carol had Melanie lay down on the couch.
“Go ahead and put something good on the television. I’ll want you to be still for at least two hours while my magic takes effect in you. Are you hungry or anything?”
“No, I ate recently. Let’s go ahead and do this thing.”
Melanie got comfortable, and Carol crouched beside her, laying her hands on the belly that hadn’t even begun to swell yet. “This should make your symptoms better for a few days. If I were you, I’d take that chance to get on a plane back to Boston. Don’t use too much energy if you can help it because the borrowed magic can only go so far and will only help the baby. Remember, the key to this whole thing is to take it easy and be careful.”
“I already feel cossetted. That’s only going to get worse, isn’t it?”
“That it is.”
Carol closed her eyes to enter a meditative state, and Melanie could feel her skin heating, radiating from the other woman’s hands. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, not even able to see Carol out.
After dinner, Justin drove out to Ward Manor to get some answers. Skylar opened the door, and he could already tell this was going to be a hard sell to get any information. Skylar, who was never angry with anyone, was looking thunderbolts at him.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
Dymphna shut off the television and stood up as he came in, and suddenly Justin was surrounded by three semi-hostile faces.
“Come on, guys, we’re family...”
“Do you want to take this chance to explain what happened?” Leo asked gently, also standing. Justin sensed Leo would be his only ally.
“Yeah, fine. Kelsey came into my office, annoyed that I had thrown her over for Melanie. I hadn’t, because there wasn’t anything between us anymore anyway. But she pressed for a physical advantage just as Melanie walked in. Now you are my family, and you know me, so I’m not going to lie. I don’t know what to do about Melanie or how I feel about her or what happened, but I’m not a cheater. I’ve always called it off before I moved on. We planned to separate, and you know that. But you should also know that I’d at least wait until we were separated to have a relationship with another woman. Again, I’m not going to pretend that even now I know what I’m going to do with the marriage. But I at least want to talk to her and tell her what happened.”
“She was really hurt, Justin,” Skylar said, patting his arm. She wasn't pleased, but slightly mollified. Skylar couldn't stay mad for long.
“So where is she?”
“She went back to LA.”
“She didn’t even say goodbye?” Sure, Seb had told him she was gone, but somehow it stung again when Skylar said it. It was a misunderstanding, and he wanted it cleared up. What happened after that didn’t matter, but he wanted to clear his name. When they all nodded, Justin continued. “Then at least tell me how I can contact her.”
“These two think with their hearts before their minds,” Leo grumbled. “My darling wife promised for all three of us that we wouldn’t give you her contact information. I don’t disagree with her. Melanie is a sweet woman, and you hurt her, inadvertently or not. We’ve been in contact with her, and all three of us are trying to get her to reach out to you. But at the moment, this is how it’s going to be. You’re my brother, and I love you man, but when no one, including you, knows how you’re going to treat her when you speak to her again, I can’t break that promise.”
“I’m rooting for you, Justin,” Dymphna spoke for the first time. “I know you better than Leo because of our shared element, and I don’t think you’d deliberately harm her. You're a healer by nature. But you did harm her. I’ll keep up the fight for her to talk to you, but I can’t make any promises. She’s emotional right now, and I don’t know that she’s ready to talk.”
“Guys, this is silly. You’re hiding my wife from me. I’ve got to talk to her.”
“She needs space,” Skylar insisted. “What you’ve got to do is wait. Go home.”
“I’ll fly out to LA if I need to!” He sounded desperate even to his own ears. Maybe he was desperate.
“You can’t take the time off the investigation,” Dymphna reminded him. “Linda and Selby are still out there, and they may be taking more witches.”
Skylar paled. Linda was her aunt, and Selby was her brother, and she still didn't want to accept their guilt, even though she had accidentally helped prove it.
“Low blow, Dymphna,” Justin responded. He collapsed into one of the armchairs, head in his hands. “You’re right. I can’t leave the investigation like this. But I can't leave my relationship like this either. Since you’re all being obstinate, I’ll go home. For now. But this isn’t over.”
He watched the three of them look resigned, communicating in glances from one to the other. Angry, he stalked out of there and waited in his car until he calmed down enough to drive.
When he got home, Justin sought out Seb, this time watching his twin grab a snack out of the family kitchen. “They’re hiding her from me.”
“I expect so.”
“What do you know?” He demanded.
“Directly? Nothing. They know I’d tell you. I don’t want to go invading minds, but I can skim enough off the top to know that there’s something they’re hiding.”
“Thanks for the help. It's good to know that you, at least, would tell me.”
“Watch yourself, Justin. You should really figure out your plan before you go casting around for her. You need to know what to say to Melanie when you do find her or things will go from bad to worse. Trust me. I also hate to be like this, but we need you here. You’re head of Coven Protection, and I need your head on the problem of preventing another witch from being kidnapped. Figure out your stance on Melanie, and don’t try to push yourself on her if she’s going to such lengths to hide. I have a feeling it’ll all come out sooner rather than later, and we both know my feelings are usually right on.”
“Sure. I’ll be back at work in the morning with my head screwed on right.”
“That’s what I want to hear.” Seb bit into the apple, effe
ctively dismissing Justin.
Justin headed up to his bedroom and brooded. But unfortunately, Seb was right, and there was nothing Justin could do, especially until he knew what his plan was when he found his wife. But he was still no closer to that conclusion.
That night, he had a vivid dream. He was lying on a couch, watching The Terminator of all things, and felt like he was burning up and delirious. He tossed and turned, trying to shake a sense of wrongness. And when he looked down, he saw he was wearing a bright purple teddy, ironically just the type that would get his blood boiling. He realized that he must be dreaming of Melanie. Or rather, his dream was of her reality. Justin figured that weirder things had happened with magic than this, so he began to try to look around for clues.
The only thing he could discover beyond classy décor was a computer printout on the table. It was folded, and he couldn’t see much of it, but the top of the paper clearly proclaimed it a plane ticket. He tried to move, to get a better look at the ticket. But then it was as if Melanie sensed his intrusion and tossed him out of her mind violently. He awoke shaking.
The first thing he thought to do was call Skylar. Maybe she’d have had a similar occurrence with her own air witch spouse. The line was busy, despite it being the middle of the night. Thinking more rationally, he decided to wait until morning to try to contact her again, but he knew he wasn’t going to be sleeping any more that night.
Melanie woke up with a start. Something had been in her mind. Something, or someone, had invaded her thoughts. She freaked out and sat there, trying to catch her breath. When she came to her senses, she realized that the mental blockades she’d erected would keep anyone out. So it came to her finally that the only way anyone could access her thoughts was if the other person had a strong link to her personally. Upon further thought, she came to the conclusion that the only person who could have done it was Justin.
She called Skylar immediately. Leo answered Skylar’s cell on the first ring.
The Dashing Witch (The Ward Witches) Page 6
