"I guess you showed up in the right place, but I doubt very much that anyone has ever heard about them," Michelle said. She was a tall blond witch who didn’t look much interested in anything.
"Well, I don’t want to sound like I know it all, but years ago, I heard about one in London."
I looked back at Laura, feeling alive and alerted. Georgiana frowned, playing with her wand. I had no idea why she was even allowed here. Jasper was the one who craved darkness; she was his puppet, and even these witches seemed more focused and powerful than her.
"In London?" I choked, feeling excited that I finally got something. "Can you tell me a bit more?"
Laura’s pupils dilated as her eyes focused on the crowd. I heard conversation and excitement that stirred the air. These paranormals were waiting for something or someone, but I didn’t care. Laura looked back at me and smiled.
"The trolls and giants knew about her years ago. When I was younger I overheard a conversation in my father’s study."
"As if. Don’t listen to her, Julia. She’s teasing you." Georgiana chuckled. Laura looked at her, annoyed, then whispered something under her breath. Georgiana paled in an instant, then turned around and walked away from us.
"Right, where was I… oh, yeah, so my father was talking to one of his friends. A young boy was asking about a witch who could heal any disease, fix broken bones, and bring the dead from the other side."
I thought that this was it. Finally, I was talking to someone who had some real information. I took a deep breath, hoping she remembered more, when the door on the other side opened and someone I really didn’t want to see walked into the room.
CHAPTER 6
WHITE WITCH.
Everyone in the room turned towards the other entrance. For a split second I was ready to shake Laura, wanting her to continue talking, but the whispers and snickers made me look at the door.
Four filthy men and one child crawled into the middle of the room. My heart began to thunder in my chest as my eyes rested on the face from my nightmares. Behind them with a whip was Gordon Lancaster—a short and stocky paranormal with thick arms and a frightening scar running across his face—he strolled into the room like he owned the place.
I would have recognised him anywhere. A few months ago, I fell into his hands, after waking up near his area with a corpse next to me, convinced that I was a killer. Paranormals were spitting and laughing at the people who came in with him. I was completely frozen on the spot, unable to move or breathe seeing him only a few meters away.
It took me a few horrible moments to realise that the filthy and beaten-up men were magic thieves. Paranormals born without sufficient magic had to rely on the energy of others. Magical society didn’t accept them, so they lived on the streets, stealing and feeding off other paranormals. They were outcasts. I felt sick to my stomach seeing them in here, treated like animals. Their eyes were clouded, mouths open, and they looked like they hadn’t been fed for days. The child, possibly around eleven years old, let out a horrendous squeal when Gordon whipped him for no reason, shouting some swear words.
Laura giggled and wet her lips.
"Oh my, this is going to be so exciting."
Then out of nowhere, Jasper appeared next to Gordon with another female witch at his side. Gordon nodded and then shook hands with them, exchanging a few words. My mind was stuck and slowly the room began closing in on me. I couldn’t catch my breath trying to comprehend what was happening here.
One by one, all the lights started going off. Gordon moved closer to the wall, leaving Jasper and the witch, whose name I didn't know, in front of the magic thieves. My pulse was racing away. All the paranormals started spreading about the room, creating a circle around Jasper and the broken creatures. I felt their sick anticipation all around me—witches and wizards had been waiting for this moment all evening. I slowly began to understand what Jasper meant in the car when he told me that this party could get out of control.
He and his companion took their wands and started waving them viciously, sending blue spheres of light all over the room. The first spell struck the child, who then released of an agonising scream of terror. The rest of the magic thieves were going crazy, screaming and trembling, continuously being struck to the floor with some sort of magic. I wanted to cover my ears, but I was too scared to move in case someone noticed that I wasn't coping well. My stomach was turning violently as the paranormals in the room became even more excited as the tension grew.
This went for about ten minutes. Jasper and the other witch were laughing, their magic joined together violently. Spells were intensifying, hurting each one of the magic thieves in different ways. Every moment or so they would switch the person they were torturing. The victims screamed and squealed, trying to break free, but Jasper was enjoying himself. He looked like he was in some sort of trance. His eyes were gleaming with red power.
Some other wizards joined in, using their dark spells, normally forbidden in the outside world, to hurt the magic thieves; these poor souls were flexing their bodies above the floor in odd angles as the torture continued.
The excitement rose in the room and I searched for a way out, but there was none. Laura stood next to me and closed her eyes, smiling and waving her own wand. Georgiana wasn't around. Gordon stood by the wall, his eyes were fixed on Jasper.
Then all the magic and spells stopped, the light vanished, and each person in the room dropped their wands. Sweat gathered on my forehead, rolling down my back. One of the adult magic thieves who’d levitated in the air, crashed to the floor. Blood began pooling beneath his body.
My legs were just about to give out. For some reason I knew this wasn't the end. The moans and screams subsided; other witches and wizards probably used magic to keep them quiet. I searched Jasper’s face for any remorse, but on that floor, he turned into another person, a monster. I looked at the child, but I couldn't tell if he was alive or dead.
I was whispering, somehow trying to send a message to Jasper. His face was stone cold. The female witch smiled and approached him. For a moment she continued whispering to him. I was clenching my fists so hard that I couldn’t feel the circulation in my fingers. As I looked back at Jasper, I realised that he was staring back at me. Our eyes met for a split second. The expression on his face shifted and I exhaled with relief, thinking that he was going to end this whole terrible massacre. He put his wand away and then approached the young boy, standing next to his lifeless body.
My relief didn’t last long, because then Jasper was handed a large sharp knife and without any warning he slashed the young boy’s throat. I didn’t know how I managed not to scream. Part of me wanted to release my power and kill all these sick paranormals, the other felt sorry for them. I shut my eyes, hoping to erase this petrifying image from my mind, but it was already too late. Paranormals started to clap, some even whistled. I felt like I was going to be sick.
In the space of a few seconds the rest of the magic thieves were killed in the same manner by other wizards. Jasper seemed ecstatic. He didn’t look at me anymore. People started approaching him, patting him on the back with congratulations and kind words. I stood there unable to move, wondering how these paranormals could be so cruel. The magic was strong and overwhelming, and I was having problems breathing steadily.
"That was awesome. Jasper took all the energy from that filth," Laura said, moving closer to me. I was shaking from head to toe internally; my mind couldn’t process what just happened. Jasper had crossed every possible line with me and as soon as I was out of this place I was planning to cut him out of my life forever. "And by the way, going back to our conversation, my father did mention the white witch when he was talking to that strange paranormal in the study all those years ago."
I looked back at Laura, startled and confused.
"What paranormal?"
"The paranormal who knows how to reach the white witch," Laura added, annoyed that I didn’t understand what she meant and then pointed at someone
in the crowd. I looked back at where Laura was pointing, trying to swallow, but I couldn’t because then I realised she meant Gordon. I physically wasn't able to ask if she was sure it was him, because I was ready to throw up.
It took me a while to get back to the bar; there I asked for a shot of vodka, which reminded me of the time when Jasper attacked that troll who was trying to chat me up, almost three years ago.
My breathing was irregular, my legs were barely holding up my body. I drank the vodka straight away, asking for another.
My energy started whipping through me and I began to realise that Jasper’s charms were wearing off. Soon enough he appeared next to me. The tingling got worse, and my stomach heaved when I spotted blood on his shirt. I didn’t know if he noticed there was something wrong with me, but he told me that we were leaving.
I didn’t remember how I got out of that party or how I made it to Jasper’s car. My brain had totally shut down. Thoughts collided with images from the evening and my father lying in the hospital bed. My internal voice kept screaming to get the hell out of the car and go to the police, but deep down I knew that I needed Jasper’s help. He was unpredictable, vicious and dangerous—and he held the connections to the only person who could help me.
"So, you’re a killer now?" I gasped out, mildly aware that he could snap my neck if he wanted to.
“It's hardly murder, Julia. Those creatures desire to die," he said, shrugging it off like it was no big deal, like he’d done this before. My head spun, and I breathed in through my nose, feeling pressure behind my eyelids.
"What? They’re magic thieves, Jasper! They want to live as much as you and me."
"I told you you’d see things you wouldn’t like. That’s where I gained my power and respect. Don’t expect to find what you’re looking for anywhere else."
I was speechless and scared, but my fear was based on the past that we shared. My father was lying in a hospital bed, dying, and although I didn’t want to say it out loud, Jasper was right. I needed him, and for the time being, I had to force myself to forget what he did earlier on. Even now I felt his darkness, blinding his mind, shutting away what was left of his good side. He wanted to embrace the black magic; people admired him for it.
It took me a while to answer. My mind was working backwards, slowly, like I was loaded with sleeping medication. I wanted to go back to being the same Julia from a few weeks ago—strong, with direction in life. Right now, I was a mess. Hanging out with a killer, a psychologically unstable wizard.
"Your sister introduced me to Laura. She pointed to Gordon Lancaster as the one who could help me," I managed to say.
He sighed, looking straight at the road. Every paranormal who lived in London had a pretty good idea of who Gordon Lancaster was. Me, on the other hand, I had the pleasure of meeting him face-to-face a while ago. I still had nightmares about that night.
"How do you even know him… oh, right, sorry, I won't even ask. I need to leave, forget about this. I’ll find someone else who can help."
Once Jasper stopped the car outside my place, he shot across the console, leaning over me, and closed the door when I tried to open it.
"Stop being a hypocrite, Julia. The leech can’t help you because he doesn’t like getting his hands dirty. We both know that I'm the only one who can save your father’s life."
"Just let me go. I can’t talk to you about this now."
Jasper didn't respond, but his eyes narrowed with irritation. He stared at me for several moments, the air became heavy, and slowly his expression started to shift. Deep in his brown eyes I saw something else, passion and warmth. My brain told me to run and Jasper didn’t stop me this time around. I flew out of the car and ran to my door, not looking back.
Once inside, I sat on the sofa, feeling like someone had scooped out all my self-determination and courage with a spoon and tossed it away. Dad and Kate, they had to live, but in order to help them I needed to go to the only man who wanted something much more than friendship from me.
I thought about Tron and wondered if there was any way to talk to him, but I wouldn't even know where to start searching for him. I had no idea why he and Alex disappeared after the fire, leaving without any contact. I felt hopeless, shut down with my inability to help my father and best friend.
An hour passed, and I hadn’t moved from my sofa. It started raining outside. The clock showed close to eleven. I felt someone by the door and then I heard a knock.
It wasn't easy to creep on my tiptoes to see who was on the other side. Something was definitely wrong with me. All of a sudden, my ability to cope with stress and fear had changed, all because of Jasper.
I checked through the peephole and relaxed, seeing my best friend Nicky on the other side.
"Julia, I don’t understand why you haven't said anything. I came as soon as I heard," Nicky said, storming through the entrance. It had been days since Dad was cursed and I hadn't even told Nicky what had happened.
I followed her back to the living room, wiping the sweat from my forehead. New magic started to stir inside me, leaving me out of breath.
"I'm sorry. I lost track of time and completely forgot to call you."
"I know. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all evening, but your phone kept going to voicemail," she complained, and then hugged me. It felt a bit better knowing that someone else cared about my family, that I had people who I could rely on.
"Oh crap, I forgot about that," I said, realising that I switched off my phone once I got to Jasper’s house. Tons of messages started coming through. Most of them were from Nathaniel.
"Julia, what’s going on? Where have you been? Your heart’s beating like a million miles an hour."
I bit my lip, wondering if I should mention that Jasper was now helping me. Nicky was a full-blooded fairy and she was good at reading people’s emotions. Sweat was dripping down my back. It was time to tell my best friend what I had been up to.
CHAPTER 7
BAD ADVICE.
N icky stared at me with her hands on her hips.
"Oh, my God! You were with Jasper, right?"
I scratched my head hoping to bury the past few hours deep in my mind. Nicky already knew what was going on. I could play this game as much as I wanted, but in the end, she would get to the bottom of what happened a few hours ago. I rubbed my hands over my pyjama pants.
“He's helping me. Dad and Kate … they’re dying," I began. "The healers are saying only a white witch can heal them."
Nicky exhaled and sat next to me on the sofa. I felt guilty that I hadn’t called called her during the biggest crisis of my life. My best friend knew everything that had happened between me and Jasper. From the look on her face, I gathered she didn’t approve of what I was doing. It was too bad that Jasper couldn’t be trusted, but without him Dad was as good as dead. My mind was in emotional turmoil. I knew what kind of price I would have to pay for getting what I wanted.
"I spoke to Kelsie when I couldn’t get through to you. She briefly explained to me what happened with your Dad and Kate. Whoever charmed your father had to be incredibly skilled. I’ve called a few fairies, but they couldn't help, only laughed when I asked about the white witch. We both know Jasper still wants you; he might only be using you."
My stomach heaved when I thought how easy it was for him to kill an innocent creature. I didn’t want to be close to someone who was so blinded by cruelty.
"I have to take that chance. He has connections to Gordon Lancaster, the only person who knows how to find the white witch," I argued, hiding my face in my hands.
"Gordon Lancaster? You’re kidding me, right?" she shouted, getting up abruptly. "You can’t expect to believe him."
Before I said anything I knew she was going to react like that, trying to talk me out of it.
"Nicky, put yourself in my position. Kate and Dad will die if I wait for the healer to come up with something. No one has a cure, and no one knows how to help them. Gordon is my only chance."
My stomach heaved again as soon as Nathaniel’s name passed through Nicky’s mouth. The problem was that Nathaniel was one of the good guys. He might have earned his money with the help of that bastard McGregor, but at the end of the day he didn’t know the person who held the information I desperately needed.
"If I want to find someone who can’t be found, then I have to mix with a bad crowd. Nathaniel can’t help me. Now, can we talk about something else?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't ask about tonight and what I had to do to get this information about Lancaster. Nicky’s blue eyes were staring at me with concern and worry.
"We can, but promise me that if this whole thing goes too far, you’ll walk away?"
"I can’t," I mumbled.
Nicky threw her hands in the air and paced around my living room. "Julia, don’t be stupid, just be careful. I’ve never trusted Jasper." She sighed. "How is your mum coping? And Kate’s parents? Do the police know anything else about those rituals?"
"I don’t think Mum wants to divorce Dad anymore. She’s with him most of the time. I don’t know what’s gotten into her, but it looks like the magic isn’t an issue anymore," I explained, thinking that this tragedy pushed her into realising what she could lose. “Kate's parents are searching for their own cure. The police are useless. Dannika has taken over the case, but I can’t keep sitting and waiting for something to happen."
"I'm not saying you need to do that. Just be careful. We both know Jasper’s a scumbag."
We talked a bit more about other options. Nicky was a good friend; she tried to convince me to cut all ties with Jasper, but I knew that this was impossible. There was also the new coven in the city. London brought paranormals from every part of the world and they caused a new disturbance. Dannika was doing everything she could and maybe with a bit of luck, her investigation could bring some results. At the moment in the back of my mind I knew that at some point I had to contact Gordon. Even if I wanted nothing to do with Jasper, I had no choice. I had to forget about the past and concentrate on what he could do for me.
Witch's Promise : The Witching Hour Series Book 4 Page 5
