“Callie?” He paused by her table.
“What? Oh . . . hi. I didn’t know you were in here. I was looking up a few things before next class. What about you?”
He shifted a load of books in his arms and briefly glanced away. When he looked at her again, his face was slightly flushed. Anger or guilt? Maybe both?
“Same thing.”
“Who’s the new librarian?” She kept her voice casual.
“Is there a new one?” He shrugged. “I didn’t notice. See you in history class.” With that, he beat a hasty retreat.
Something was definitely wrong. She swirled her head around to the library desk and caught the cold, speculative gleam in Theodora Ansley’s eyes piercing her. It felt like ice water thrown on her heart.
A voice from behind made her jump. “Have you read that history article yet?”
“Hey, Emily. No, I still need to pick up a copy. You weren’t in class yesterday. The teacher said the quality of it was too poor to scan so we’re supposed to pick up a Xerox copy at the library desk.”
“May as well get one now, huh? Guess we’ll get an up-close look at the new librarian. Tanner keeps going on and on about her.” Emily sounded as gloomy as Skye.
“So did Michael.” Callie sighed. “I saw James in here, and he claims he didn’t even notice there was a new librarian.”
Emily burst out laughing. “Yeah, right. As if. That would be like Brad Pitt walking in here and us saying ‘Brad who?’ Not happening.”
“I know.” Callie gathered up her papers, and they walked to the desk.
“You don’t have to worry about James. It’s obvious he’s crazy about you.”
“Really?” Callie smiled in pleasure.
She knew it, but it was still nice to hear it confirmed from another person. Especially in light of the gorgeous woman in front of them. Now that she was closer, Callie sensed her aura of charm. Theodora oozed sexuality as effortlessly as breathing.
“We need to pick up the article for American History 101,” Emily said, standing in front of Ms. Ansley’s desk.
“I don’t know anything about it.” Theodora’s voice was deep and smoky.
“It’s supposed to be here at the main desk,” Emily insisted.
Jane Alexander, nerdy as she was brilliant, made her way through the guys to approach Theodora. “I’m having trouble finding any information on eidetic vision and the creative process. Can you help me?”
Theodora waved a hand in the direction of the computer bank. “Google it.”
“Seriously?” Jane frowned. “I already tried that.”
“Did you try Yahoo?” Theodora sighed as if bored by the sheer stupidity of it all.
“Of course. I tried several Internet search engines. I need you to suggest an electronic database or other resource.”
Theodora gave a blank stare. One of her admirers snickered.
A bright red blush crept up Jane’s neck and face. Behind her glasses, her myopic eyes sparkled. Whether in humiliation or anger, Callie wasn’t sure.
Jane stood her ground. “Maybe you can think of some Boolean search terms.” She tugged on her ill-fitting wool sweater.
“Now how will you ever learn to do your own research if you ask someone to help you all the time?” Theodora twirled a lock of hair and gave Jane a cool, condescending smile.
The snickering grew louder from her male fan base.
“C’mon, Jane,” said Callie. She gave Theodora a scalding look before turning away. “It’s obvious she doesn’t know how to help you,” she added in a deliberately loud voice.
“Oh, my. I’d forgotten all about teen drama,” Theodora observed to her audience.
The males laughed appreciatively, and Callie’s face warmed. She walked faster, Emily and Jane at her side.
“Mrs. Pepper would never have been so rude,” said Emily.
Jane chewed on her lower lip. “I think Callie’s right. She probably doesn’t know anything about library stuff. I’m going to complain to the Dean.”
“It won’t do you any good. I hear she’s a friend of the family, and he called her to come to Piedmont as a favor,” she said.
Aiden Cargill almost ran them over as they left the library.
“You’re late to the party,” Callie said.
Aiden elbowed past them. “Got here fast as I could.”
Jane pushed her glasses up the bridge on her nose. “Guys. They’re so obvious.”
* * *
Callie bit into the spicy lasagna and savored its garlicky warmth. “Grandma Jo, this is the bomb. I’m starving.”
“We can see that,” Mom said with a rueful glance at Callie’s plate. “We’re used to your huge appetite—but three plates?”
“Not to mention the rolls and salad,” Grandma Jo added.
“I’m extra starving today. Lunch was the pits.” She took another hot buttered roll from the tray and passed it to Mom. “How’s work going?”
“Pretty good. We had several kittens adopted today. Of course, more strays were brought in, but that’s the way it is at the shelter. I want to save them all, but I can’t.”
“But think how many you’ve helped over the years,” Callie said. “I can’t imagine how I ever got along without my Grendel.” She slipped him a bit of lasagna under the table. He was as bad as a dog about begging for table food.
“You’ve spoiled him,” said Grandma Jo. “Look how well-behaved Willow is.”
Callie smiled at the fat feline perched on the windowsill. Hard to believe it was the same skinny cat they adopted only months ago. “She’s a sweetie, but Grendel has personality. I wouldn’t change anything about him. Except maybe when he lies on my face when I’m trying to sleep.” She pushed her plate back. “I’m full now. I’ll help with the dishes.”
Grandma Jo rose and stacked plates. “I’ll get them. My Save the Earth seminar this morning was cancelled, so I’ve just been puttering all day.”
“If you’re sure.” Callie started for the stairs. A sudden thought hit her. “Hey, what’s tantric magic?”
Mom and Grandma Jo froze.
“She’s all yours,” Grandma Jo said to her daughter, taking a stack of plates into the kitchen.
“It’s, um . . . well, it has to do with using sexually generated energy for magical purposes. You see—”
“Never mind, Mom. I can look up the details myself.” She ran up the stairs.
One of these days she was going to kill Tanner. He kept setting her up, and she kept taking the bait. She went to her computer, entered ‘tantric magic’ and clicked on the first hit.
Wow. She wouldn’t mind exploring a little tantric magic with James.
James. He hadn’t made it to history class after all. Callie kept picturing Theodora and James in the library. Something was up there. Hmm . . . She’d call him and make sure everything was all right.
When he didn’t pick up or respond to her text messages, Callie called Skye. “Let’s go for a ride.”
* * *
“Tell me again why we’re doing this,” Skye said as they drove up Booze Mountain. “You’re being ridiculous, girlfriend.”
She shrugged. “I have a feeling.” She found herself holding her breath as they rounded the curve to his house.
“Well, lookie there.” Skye whistled.
An Alabama-crimson-red Corvette was parked in James’s driveway.
“What is it with that woman?” Callie asked, jealousy vile and hot in her mouth.
“Are you going to knock on the door?”
“No way. Aunt Mallory warned me not to chase guys. They hate that.” Callie accelerated as they climbed the last stretch of the mountain.
“Now you know how I feel whenever I see Tanner and Emily together. It sucks. Of course, it’s got to be ten times worse for you since James is your boyfriend. I don’t have any right to get jealous.”
“You can’t help how you feel.” She turned her car around at the top of the mountain and headed back down. �
�Your brother knows how it feels, too.”
Skye’s brow wrinkled. “Michael?”
“You can’t tell? He’s as ate-up with jealousy as you when he sees Emily with Tanner.”
Skye chewed it over. “You might be onto something there.” She heaved a loud sigh as she looked into the gathering twilight. “What a mess. Why does love have to be so complicated and illogical?”
“You got me.” She slowed down as she passed the MacLauren house again.
The curtains were open and lamps were lit in the dining room. Inside, Theodora, James, and his dad sat at a table. Theodora was at the head, laughing and spooning up food on her plate. James was in profile, head down as he concentrated on his meal. The scene was intimate and homey.
She had never felt so alone. This must be how James feels sometimes. Always the outsider looking in.
“Maybe this Theodora is some kind of friend of his dad’s,” Skye said. “Don’t work yourself up over this. Bet he calls you back after dinner.”
* * *
James followed his dad into the kitchen, leaving Theodora alone at the table.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he hissed. He placed the dirty dishes in the sink and rinsed them.
Carter bluffed. “Thought you’d be pleased.”
“Get real. Why is she here?”
“I already told you. A job happened to come open in town, and when she called, I offered our place to stay until she gets on her feet.”
“Right. We all know Piedmont is an employment mecca.”
Carter found three clean plates and got out the forks. “You bring in the pie. Look, you know I’ve always liked Theodora. She’s missed you and wants another chance. I hope you’ll come to your senses and see how perfect you two are together.”
“Stop it. What I really need to know is how she weaseled her way into this job at the college. A librarian? Really?”
Carter shrugged. “You know how persuasive she can be. A real go-getter.”
He frowned behind his dad’s back as they returned to the dining room. This was all too convenient.
“Dessert is served,” Carter announced with a flourish. “For your enjoyment, we have an apple pie by the famous Mrs. Edwards.”
“Yum. Dinner was marvelous, Carter.” Theodora helped herself to a slice. As she bit into the hot pie, she looked meaningfully at James. “Mmm” she murmured. “It’s so good.”
His mouth went dry, remembering hearing those same words during previous, more intimate encounters with Theodora. And by the knowing look in her eyes, she realized he remembered.
“You’re going to be bored to death living out here and working in a library,” he warned, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
“I don’t plan on being bored.” She took a second bite of the pie and then shoved the plate away. “Got to watch my figure.”
How different from Callie. She would have asked for seconds or thirds, he thought with a smile.
Carter spoke up. “I’ve always had a soft spot for this area. I spend a few years here every couple of decades. I appreciate that it hasn’t changed as rapidly as big cities like Atlanta and Nashville.”
“All I know about Piedmont is that one Palm Sunday, a tornado struck a church and killed a bunch of people during services,” said Theodora.
“That was back in ’94,” said Carter, taking a bite of pie. “The roof caved in and killed twenty people. Injured about a hundred.”
“How sad.” Theodora sipped iced tea and scanned the room, already dismissing the topic. Compassion wasn’t high on her list of attributes. “This place is nice but hardly up to the posh atmosphere of some of your past homes. Are you economizing this century?”
James shrugged. “Suits me fine. It’s a nice change every few decades or so.”
“I had enough rustic living in the first hundred years of my life,” said Theodora. “Thanks to the financial magic of compound interest over several lifetimes, I can live wherever I want now.”
“I was afraid computers and the Internet were going to be our downfall,” Carter said with a chuckle. “As it turns out, it makes it easier for us to forge documents and create new identities.”
Theodora raised her iced tea glass. “Here’s to existing as modern techno-gypsies. May all our stocks continue to split and may all our hidden assets continue to grow.”
A loud clink resounded in the room as they toasted.
“After all the poverty during the Civil War, I never thought I’d be a rich man,” James said, slightly shaking his head. “This house, modest by Theodora’s standards, is a mansion compared to the one-room shack I grew up in.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, this is a beautiful place,” Theodora said in a rush. “You have the hot tub, the chandeliers, the spiral staircase, hardwood floors, not to mention the stunning mountain views.”
“Anything more would have been too suspicious for this area,” said Carter. “Alabama’s not exactly a rich state, and Piedmont’s average salary and housing costs are below the state’s average.”
“Since we’re talking finances, I have a few questions for you, Theodora.” James set down his glass. “Considering you don’t need to work, much less know anything about libraries, why are you here? Piedmont isn’t exactly your kind of town.”
Carter gave a disgusted sigh and stood. “I’ll leave you two alone,” he said, taking his plate and silverware.
“Thanks for everything, Carter.” Theodora touched his arm as he walked by.
“Our house is yours as long as you need it.”
James sighed inwardly.
When she was sure they were alone, Theodora stared at him with seductive, hazel eyes.
“Isn’t it obvious? I came for you.” She put a hand on his forearm and softly stroked. “Ever since we split last year, I haven’t been able to forget you.”
He stared down at the familiar, dainty hand with its perfectly groomed nails and expensive rings. The suggestion of desire was in her touch. A touch he remembered only too well. He forced himself to move his arm down to his side, away from her caress.
“You could have anyone you want, anytime you want.”
“I want you.” Her voice was velvety-smooth and husky. She leaned her head to one side and ran her fingers through the strands of midnight-dark silk.
“Me and every other man that catches your eye. Last time I saw you, you were in bed with someone I considered one of my closest friends.” The memory effectively wiped out the traces of physical desire her touch had stirred.
Theodora managed a small tear. “I’ve changed, James. Can’t we start over? I came to this podunk town and this crappy job to prove I’m ready to settle down. With you.”
He laughed with no humor. “You’re almost a hundred years old and you’ve only now learned the meaning of commitment? Excuse me if I don’t believe you.”
“I have. I really have.” She pouted and ran a finger over her full lips. “Don’t you remember the good times? We had plenty of those.”
“Unfortunately, my last image of you involved you lying naked on top of another man. That tends to erase fond memories.”’
A flash of impatience blazed in her eyes. “Yes, you seem rather stuck on recalling that particular day,” she said with a clip in her voice. With an effort, Theodora collected herself and resumed a soft, intimate tone. “What I mean is . . . I’m sorry. It will never happen again.”
“I know it won’t happen again because you and I are done.” He stood and gazed at her perfectly lovely face. “Maybe Carter forgot to mention I’ve got someone else in my life now.”
Theodora threw down her napkin and stood. “A mortal?’ she said, nose crinkling. “And a witch to boot. Stick with your own kind, James. I can offer you something she could never give you. A love that will literally never die.”
She knew his weak point and honed in for the kill. Theodora wrapped her arms around his neck. “Aren’t you tired of college girls?” Her voice lowered to a whisper, and h
e instinctively bent down to hear. Their lips were inches apart. “Besides, I know how to satisfy you. Completely.”
Before he could step back, Theodora kissed him with all the expertise of a one-hundred-year old immortal siren.
* * *
Callie tossed restlessly. Grendel’s cold paws padded up and down her stomach every few minutes, making sleep difficult. The kitten was as restless as the swirling night air outside. The patter of rain and the sudden flashes of illumination from distant lightening ignited a primitive wariness in him.
“It’s okay, little one.” Callie stroked his soft body, but the gesture failed to calm him. A crack of thunder rent the air, and Grendel dashed under the bed.
She sat up and watched the rain sporadically pound the windowpanes in sheets. As thunder struck and lightening lit the sky with a white electrical charge, black tree limbs swayed under the onslaught. The effect was hypnotic. Her focus softened, and the pitch-blackness of the windowpane shifted and came alive with an image.
James’s handsome face took shape. He gazed down at something with rapt attention.
Theodora. She was in his arms and smiling up at him in a self-satisfied, feminine way.
Pain slashed through her. But what agonized most was not knowing if this was a scene from the past, present, or future.
The raindrops washed away the painful image like watercolor paintings melting on a sidewalk during a shower. But as that vision disappeared, another took shape. The drops of water fused and shifted until it formed a new scene worse than the first.
Men were engaged in physical combat. They attacked, clashing their broadswords like ancient Highland warriors. A battle from the distant past? She remembered James’s broadsword, and he’d said it was a traditional weapon with immortals even to this day.
Like a camera shifting its angle, she witnessed a group of people in white robes raising their arms in supplication to the night sky. Her coven?
She strained to carve out details and faces, but it was like trying to fine-tune an old black and white television screen full of static. The harder she tried to concentrate, the more it eluded her, until finally the static stopped and the screen went black.
Charmed and Dangerous: An Appalachian Magic Novel (Appalachian Magic Series Book 1) Page 17
