The Price of a Gift (The Price of Secrets Series)

by Ashley Drake

  "I have no idea. It was like, it was me, but someone else was telling me what to say and do." She said, looking at the candles and the salt then back to me. "Are you sure you weren't in my mind doing this?" I shook my head no. "Well then what do you think it was?"

  Daniel walked over to us and gave Jaycee a pat on the back. "That's easy. You're a witch."

  Jaycee started to back away from us. "What? I'm not a witch!" She kept getting farther away. "I'm way too pretty! I don't ride a broom or have a black cat."

  "That's all stereotype." Daniel stated.

  "I'm good, I don't worship the devil! I can't be a witch, dammit, I'm Baptist!" Jaycee cried.

  Daniel's right, I know he is. I feel it. My mind started racing back to all the signs; the living impaired doesn't come to me when Jaycee's around, she saw the aura of that creep Brad, her own aura has started to change, she knew that Samantha had to pass over on a full moon. This was just naming a few clues that I should have picked up on.

  “Witches are not evil Satan worshipers, Jaycee." Daniel said, trying to sound rational.

  "You have to be mistaken. I have never practiced magic, or performed spells." She tried, without success, to believe what she was saying.

  "It doesn't matter. You are a natural born witch. It's in your blood."

  Hearing in Daniel's voice that he didn't see this as a problem, more like it's a good thing, eased my mind. "How long have you known?" I asked him.

  "Since the day I met Jaycee. At first, I thought you knew and was just keeping it a secret. Then when I found out that you two didn't have a clue. I decided it wasn't for me to tell, that Jaycee would learn of it in her own time."

  My heart went out to Jaycee. She looked so scared and confused. "Let's get out of here before the shadow demon decides he wants another round. We can finish talking about this in the car." We collected the candles and Daniel blended the salt into the earth while Jaycee said a few words. She said something about cleaning or closing the circle. I looked down at the two graves. "Sammy, you take good care of your mom. Goodbye Samantha." I took Jaycee's hand and lead her back down the path to the car.

  To show my support, I rode in the back seat with Jaycee. Once we were out of sight of the cemetery, I started to feel safe and more relaxed. I think we all did.

  "You said you knew I was a... a witch when you first met me. How did you know?" Jaycee asked Daniel.

  "By your energy." He said, looking at us through the rear view mirror. We didn't say anything, waiting for him to elaborate. "Energy is attracted to energy. It's drawn to each other. Do you think it's a coincidence that you two have been best friends since kindergarten, and that you both just happen to have powers?"

  Jaycee and I looked at each other. "We're both freaks." I said, giving her a big smile, trying to make her feel better.

  "Bitch." She smirked.

  "Witch." I retorted.

  She couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You got me, that was a good one. Ok Chief, continue. You said I was born a witch?"

  "Yes, basically it's in your blood. Sometimes a male can be a witch, but usually it is passed from mother to daughter."

  "I think my mom would have given me a heads up. Ya know, somewhere between finger painting and the sex talk." Jaycee scoffed.

  "It can skip a generation, so there is a chance that your mother's powers have stayed dormant. Unless your grandmother told her about your family's bloodline, she wouldn't know anything about it."

  "My grandma died when I was three."

  "You need to talk to somebody on that side of the family because you are turning sixteen soon."

  "So?" She asked.

  "Sixteen is when you will come into your full powers. Tonight was nothing compared to what you're going to be able to do."

  "No shit?" Jaycee arched her eyebrow.

  "None at all." Daniel said smiling. Like me, he could see that Jaycee was coming around to the idea.

  Jaycee pulled my hair. "Looks like I'm gonna be a bad ass too."

  "I guess that means that you're no longer the butler to my batman." I joked.

  "I do need to tell you both one more thing." Daniel paused to make sure we were ready to hear what he had to say. "The amount of power between the three of us is going to attract supernatural attention. We are going to have to be on guard and ready for anything."

  I tried to wrap my mind around what Daniel was saying. It was all so overwhelming. It was hard to take in everything that has happened to us in such a short amount of time.

  I was caught off guard when I felt someone or something enter my mind, trying to control my thoughts. It wanted me to know that it was there. I wasn't familiar with the energy I was picking up on. It didn't feel evil, so I let it stay, just to see what it is trying to tell me. Suddenly, a memory of my dad telling me that there is a reason for everything was placed into my mind. I thought about Daniel coming into my life, and what a gift to me that has been, and how I felt stronger just by being with him. Also, there is Jaycee, my best friend from as far back as I can remember, who we just found out is a witch. Then I was taken back to Samantha, and her last words to me were 'your story will be of unimaginable power and greatness'. Everything is falling into place. The energy spoke to me in my mind, and then left just as fast as it came. "Daniel's right,” I confirmed, “they're coming."

  ........Mom and Dad were waiting on us when we got home. Looking tired and worn out from worry, they were so relieved to see us walk through the door. We told them all about what happened, even about Jaycee. Dad said he always knew there was something special about her, he just couldn't ever figure out what. He thanked Daniel for looking out for me, then told me how proud he was, and I got all sappy. So, I will be closing this chapter in my diary and starting a new one tomorrow. I will miss Samantha, but I know she is happy and safe now. I will never forget the glee in her eyes when she went into the light. I was able to see her true beauty. Now I have new things to worry about, Jaycee being one of them. I am going with her to talk to her grandmother's sister. She is still alive, and Jaycee says she still has all her marbles. Her words, not mine. Hopefully she will be able to shine some light on Jaycee's witch heritage. If not, Daniel seems to think I might be able to call on her grandmother. I hope it doesn't come to that. You start calling on spirits, you never know who is going to answer. All in all, Jaycee is taking this very well. As a matter of fact, she is soaking in my bathtub right now, claiming to be cleansing her aura. Can witches be divas? But I have to say she was flippin' awesome! She looked like a goddess out there tonight. Of course, I would never tell her that cause her head is big enough already. She doesn't know if she will tell Mike or not. She will keep mine and Daniel's secret regardless of her decision. I told her maybe she should wait until she knows more about her powers before saying anything. I didn't tell her this, but I wonder if he will be able to accept it or not if she does tell him. Also, on my worry list, is this parade of supernaturals that are on their way to find us. Well, maybe not a parade, but it sure feels like it. And let's not forget the energy that got into my mind and whispered to me. Although, I still don't think that it was evil. So, with all this impending doom, why can't I keep this smile off my face, you ask? Because Daniel loves me and I love him. He is mine, all of his -six foot, dimples, six-pack, tanned, hotness- self. With Daniel and Jaycee having my back, I can face anything. We can face anything, together. After all, we are extraordinary.

  The End, For Now