The Witch's Protector

by Leia Shaw

“We don’t have time to agree on every detail, Sage. You’ll just have to trust me.”

  A small smirk formed on the edge of her lips. It was such a contrast to the cynical glares, it unnerved him. Was she scheming?

  “Fine,” she answered flippantly. “But I want coffee with my breakfast.”

  He had to bite back a laugh. Cornered and desperate yet she made demands? “Done.”

  “Strong coffee.”

  “Is there any other kind?”

  She stuck out a hand. “Sage Peterson.”

  He shook it. “James Elias.”

  Chapter 2

  “Welcome home,” James said as they pulled into the driveway of a quaint blue house several miles from campus.

  The last house Sage had seen was at least a quarter of a mile away. Driven to a secluded spot with a stranger – this was shaping up to be the perfect start to a horror movie.

  He looked young, for a professor. His chiseled features and regal confidence reminded her of European nobility. Strawberry blonde hair was cut short and styled in perfectly random spikes, as if he were about to shoot a hair gel commercial.

  She drank in his deceptively charming appearance. Deceptive, because at first glance he looked like a wealthy gentleman, but what most people probably didn’t see was the lethal potential simmering just below the surface.

  The professor had stayed true to his word and had talked the Dean into dropping all charges. She lost her job and was banned from campus, but honestly, the only thing she felt guilty about was lying to Tony. He’d looked so heart-broken when she’d packed her duffle bag and gave him a quick hug. But as a product of the foster care system, she was used to saying goodbye.

  James opened the car door and carried her bag toward the house. At least he wasn’t a complete ass.

  “What do you have in this bag?” he asked. “Rocks?”

  Nope. Definitely an ass.

  “Books.” She tried to grab it back, but he jerked it away before she could. “What’s wrong with a well-read woman?”

  “Nothing,” he answered. “It just surprised me.”

  Once inside, he flipped on the lights to reveal a small kitchen that opened into a more spacious living room. Wide windows on three sides drew the eye. A couch, recliner, coffee table, made up a seating area in the living room. The kitchen counters were clean, no clutter on any surface, or even a god damn dish in the sink.

  She cringed. A neat freak. Great.

  Sage had assumed he was a bachelor. It didn’t seem likely a woman would be okay with her husband bringing home a twenty-five year old girl like a stray dog. Now it was becoming clear the man lived alone. If you could call this living.

  James walked her through the kitchen and down a hallway. He pointed out a bathroom then flung open a door across the hall.

  “You can sleep here.” He dropped her bag inside.

  A multi-colored quilt lay across the full size bed. A desk with a reading lamp and office chair filled the other corner of the cozy room.

  She looked longingly at the bed. Tempting as it was, she couldn’t stay. “Can I get a few minutes before you interrogate me?”

  “Sure.”

  She waited for him to leave. He only widened his stance in the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Privacy?” she hinted.

  “My wallet?”

  Busted. Maybe he was smarter than she’d given him credit for. She sighed and pulled it out of her back pocket then handed it to him.

  He opened it and arched a brow. “There was twenty dollars in here.”

  With another sigh she took the twenty out of her other pocket and slapped it into his palm.

  His fingers wrapped around her hand he pulled her into his body. “I don’t know your background but I understand your desperation. I will tolerate many things but stealing is not one of them.”

  She yanked her hand away, stumbling back a few steps. “Fuck off. You can’t talk to –”

  “I’ll be waiting in the living room. You have five minutes.” He slammed the door before she could utter another word.

  “Bastard,” she hissed at the closed door. But she would get the last laugh. He couldn’t really think she’d just go along with this.

  The bedroom window was big enough for her to fit through. She took extra care to open it quietly then popped the screen out. Thankfully, the bedroom was on the first floor. She grabbed her backpack and slipped outside.

  It was a moonless night and she struggled to orient herself in the darkness. Only a minute after stumbling blindly, she bumped into a hard wall of muscle.

  “I should have known you’d be trouble,” a familiar voice said.

  She groaned. How on earth had she not seen him? His pale skin glowed in the black night. She turned to run but a hand shackled her wrist. He dragged her through the dark at a pace that made her depend on him to remain upright. She tried to stay calm.

  “Let me go. You can’t force me to stay here.”

  He laughed sending a sudden burst of panic through her.

  His grip on her wrist was iron-tight. He could easily overpower her.

  Fuck. She hated feeling helpless. Bad things happened when she panicked.

  A bright blue light burst into her free hand. The magic flowed through her, barely contained, fighting for release. She knew what would happen if she let it go. It had a life of its own.

  James swung around to face her. “Cut that out.” He squeezed her wrist until her bones threatened to snap.

  “Ow!” Her light flickered then disappeared, the heavy weight of power disappearing with it.

  “Control yourself,” he snapped.

  As it if were that easy. He didn’t seem fearful of her power, which put her on edge. It was almost like he expected it. Maybe he hadn’t been lying when he’d said he knew what she was. Did he have…powers too?

  “Look. Bad things happen when I get angry, okay?” Maybe being reasonable would work. “As of right now, I don’t want to hurt you. Keep dragging me around and I’ll change my mind.”

  “Hurt me?”

  “I may be small but I’ve hurt bigger men than you.”

  “You and I need to have a talk.” He continued his hurried pace, crossing the driveway, towing her along behind him.

  Inside the house, he pulled out a wooden chair, set it in the middle of the living room then ordered her to sit.

  She remained standing. Out of habit, she searched the room for exits and weapons.

  “You’re thinking about running again?” he said, incredulous. “Do you think I won’t catch you?”

  If there was one thing Sage knew, it was body language. His voice may have been calm, but his body was not. He stood several feet in front of her, sturdy like a tree, blocking her only exit. Had he always been that tall?

  “We need to talk,” he told her.

  “I don’t like being backed into a corner. Things happen, okay? I can’t always control them.”

  He smiled and took a step towards her. “I know. You’re like a scared little kitten, claws out ready to fight the world.” His voice warmed, his pale blue eyes softened as he looked deep into hers. “Sheath your claws, anwylyd. No one is going to hurt you.”

  She felt her resolve melt. It was almost easy to believe him. But she’d been through too much shit to trust someone she’d just met. Adrenaline burst in her chest then burned through her veins. A ball of neon light formed between her hands. She tried to control it but it was intense, the pressure built, the power yearned for release.

  “Impressive,” he said. “Now what?”

  She narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  Please don’t miss. Please don’t miss.

  Squaring her shoulders, she took aim then released the ball of light, thrusting it towards him. As soon as the energy left her fingertips, she ducked and covered her head. The light soared across the room. It missed her target then ricocheted off a metal cabinet and blew up the wooden chair between them.

&nb
sp; A few fractured pieces of chair bounced off James, but he barely seemed to notice. Sage rose to her feet, studying his reaction.

  “You’re going to pay for that,” he said.

  In answer, she reached into her pocket, took out the wad of cash – her only cash – and flung it at his chest. It bounced against him then plopped to the floor. He didn’t pick up.

  “There’s your payment. Now let me go.”

  He shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

  The light congregated in her palms again, but it was weaker. “I’ll do it again,” she warned.

  He shrugged and took a step toward her. Seeing no other option, she launched another lightening ball. This time it flew straight toward him. But he put up a hand and the light sizzled then disappeared. He stepped closer. Panicked, she launched another, but he flicked that one away too.

  What the fuck? She tried to pull up more light but her hands only sparked. He took another step, putting himself just a few feet away. She tried again but exhaustion washed over her.

  “Damn it!” She shook her hands as if it would spring power back into them.

  The professor sneered. “Your powers are fickle, which makes you dangerous.”

  She couldn’t deny they were spiraling out of control, and she’d be lying if she said it didn’t scare her, but it wasn’t like she could do anything about it. No one had given her an instruction manual. She didn’t even know where her powers came from.

  He pulled another chair into the center of the room. “Sit in the chair, Sage.”

  Her fists clenched, her nails dug into her palms. “No.” She never did do well with orders.

  In the time it took to blink, he was inches in front of her. His scent hit her like a tidal wave, wrapping a cocoon of comfort around her. Crisp fall days, aftershave, and desire. It was the kind of smell she would have liked to curl up in on a cold day.

  He wrapped a hand around her upper arm and set her down on the chair. She tensed to flee when he released her arm, but before she could move, his hand clamped around her throat. There was something wrong with her that her first thought was how warm it felt against her skin. Was she that starved for human contact?

  Though gentle, the grip on her neck was still a threat. “Don’t move.”

  Given no other choice, she remained still.

  A strange stream of light snaked from his index finger and wrapped around her body pinning her arms to her side. The light made a sort of magical rope that tied her to the chair. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t get free.

  “There.” He shook the light free from his finger. “That’s better.” He sat down on the couch opposite her. “As I was saying…we need to talk about your powers.”

  She looked down at the rope then glared at him. “While this would be kinky in other circumstances, it’s not really winning my trust.”

  “The time for that is over. Now I ask questions and you answer.”

  Maybe he would let her go if she played nice. “Fine. I have certain…abilities. But I don’t know how they work or where they come from.”

  He furrowed his brow. “Do you really not know what you are?”

  “Do you?”

  “Of course,” he scoffed. “You’re a sorceress.”

  A flood of emotion overwhelmed her. A sorceress. It felt…surreal. The only thing she knew about sorcery she’d learned from movies and probably entirely made up, but at least there was a name now. Something that explained what had been happening to her, and around her, for as long as she could remember.

  She’d first recognized her power at the age of five when a blender her foster mother used to make a seaweed breakfast smoothie had exploded. Sage had wanted Lucky Charms. She’d won that battle.

  She’d been tossed out of foster homes over and over for being “bad”. In high school, students, and even teachers, had whispered rumors of witchcraft behind her back. When she went searching for answers, she came up blank. Nothing described the types of things she could do.

  Sorcery was not a stretch from witchcraft. But more importantly, there were more of her out there.

  “A sorceress,” she said out loud.

  “Yes. A very powerful one.” James glared at her with contempt, knocking the wind out of her newly flown sails. “But I can tell you’re untrained. Most of us have been guided by teachers and mentors since we were very young. We’ve had years to learn how to control our powers. It’s a good thing your aim is shit because the first bolt you sent could have killed me.”

  A bolt? At his unbending glare, she yelled, “Well nobody taught me!”

  “Obviously. Who are your parents?”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted.

  He folded his arms over his chest. “Why should I believe you? You’re a liar and a thief.”

  “And I cheat at cards too.”

  He exhaled a laugh but it was humorless. “Look at you. You’re nothing but a volatile, foul-mouthed little smartass. Nothing like a real sorceress. I’m surprised you’ve managed to stay alive all these years.”

  Only because of the light.

  “What are your parents’ names?”

  “I told you I don’t know.” The rope tightened across her chest, crushing her until she could barely breathe. She panicked. A flash of lightning lit up the sky outside. A gust of wind rattled the windows.

  James looked from her face to the windows and back again. Why did he look surprised? Didn’t all sorcerers affect the weather?

  “It’s really quite simple, Sage,” he said in clipped tones. “Answer the questions and we won’t have a problem.”

  “I already told you I don’t know who my parents are! I’m not lying. My mother left me at the hospital to be adopted right when I was born. I had a name and that was it.”

  He blinked and the rope loosened. “I’m sorry.” Regret tinted his voice. “I can see now that you’re not lying.”

  She sent him a glare that told him exactly where he could shove his apology.

  “If I let you go, do you promise not to run away?”

  She nodded, not that she had a choice. This man, who she now guessed was a sorcerer, was clearly more powerful than her. Not only that but he had answers to questions she’d been asking for years.

  “All right. I’m going to remove the rope. Do not move from that chair. If you try to run, I will catch you. Do you understand?”

  “Fine. I’ll stay and hear you out. I promise.” The light rope faded away and she stretched out her arms. “I’m not a child.” For some reason she needed to make that clear.

  His gaze dropped to her breasts. Usually she didn’t mind the attention her low cut shirts and well-endowed chest got her, but now she felt naked under his heated gaze.

  “I can see that. Here’s the thing, Sage. There are rules for our kind. You can’t go around using magic anytime you please. That’s not how it works and it’s going to get you in a lot of trouble. You’re lucky it hasn’t caught up with you so far.”

  “I’ve never known anyone else like me. How am I supposed to know all the rules for your magical wizard world? I can barely follow people rules in my own world.”

  “I know. And that’s why I’ve decided to train you.”

  She waited for him to crack a smile and admit he was joking. When he didn’t, she arched a brow at him. “What makes you think I want to be trained? And by you, no less.”

  “I don’t really see how you have a choice. How will you know what the rules are for our kind?”

  “I don’t know. Don’t you have a book or something?”

  “What happens when your powers get out of your control? You need someone looking after you.”

  She snorted. “You want me to trust you to look after me? Did you forget the part where you almost suffocated me with a magical rope?”

  He took a deep breath. “What if I told you that I could make you more powerful?”

  This piqued her interest. Momentarily.

  “You could
be ten times stronger, Sage. With some guidance and practice –”

  “No thanks. I’ll figure it out on my own.”

  He didn’t seem shocked by her refusal, which made her uneasy. She shifted in the chair.

  “When’s the last time you ate?” he asked.

  “Lunch.”

  “And before that?”

  “None of your business.” She couldn’t remember.

  “Stay here with me, Sage. I’ll give you a warm place to sleep and regular meals. All you have to do is allow me to teach you how to use your powers responsibly.”

  Surviving on the streets by herself since she was a teenager meant living by certain rules. Rule number one? If something sounded too good to be true, it usually was. “What’s your angle? If you think I’ll sleep with you, you can forget it. I’d rather starve.”

  “No angle. Just a sense of obligation. You’re dangerous and need to be controlled before you hurt somebody. I don’t want that on my conscience.”

  “Controlled? Who the hell do you think –”

  “Don’t be stubborn,” he snapped. “You look like you’re half-starved.”

  She grimaced and peered down at her body. Average height with curves in all the right places, but lately the curves had been shrinking.

  “Don’t let your pride get in the way of taking something good that’s offered. There’s no better opportunity for you than this. And I promise, when I’m done with you, you’ll never have to mop floors again.”

  She gave him a wary glance. “I don’t trust you.”

  “Nor I you. But what do you have to lose?”

  Dignity? That didn’t seem so important anymore. She’d eaten food out of a dumpster for fucks sake. He appeared to be ready to feed her and teach her. If she learned more about her abilities – how to harness them and control them – maybe she could finally have a normal life and not blow things up at the slightest provocation.

  “All right,” she conceded. “But just so you know, I sleep with one eye open.”

  “What makes you think you’re my type?”

  She glared. “Asshole.”

  His icy eyes melted to warmth as he held out a hand. “I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I want you to know you can trust me.”