by M. R. Polish
I waved her off with my hand, too tired to say anything. It didn’t seem fair to me that Victor had so many years on me. My biggest astonishment is when I found out that Meadow was in reality eighty–two years old. My pitiful eighteen was nothing more than a crack in the road. I guess being a witch had some pluses. I wouldn’t have to turn grey and wrinkled unless I wanted. Witches were immortal.
It excited me to hear that Jarak and other guardians could also live immortally if they chose. However, it would require them to have a companion who could do the same. It was good to know not everybody was old. I was relieved to know Jarak wasn’t an eighty-year old in a twenty-two year old body. Well… that I knew of anyway. With all the secrets I’ve been kept in the dark on, anything was possible.
On my back, I laid on the cold grass as the sun dipped behind a cloud. It was still hard to breathe. “Get up. Do it again.” Victor’s voice showed no signs of weariness. Maybe seventy-five year old warlocks never wore out.
“I’m tired,” I whined.
“Come on, Es, get up, show em’ who’s boss!” I seriously wanted to duct tape Ailaina’s mouth, but shot her a ‘shut up’ look instead.
Victor stood over me, his eyes almost glowing. “Nicholas won’t care if you’re tired. Now get up.”
“You’re impossible!” I pounded my fists onto the hard ground before rolling over and sitting up, brushing any blades of grass off my arms. Standing, I strolled over to the opposite side of the pool. “I’d like nothing more than to throw you in the cold water,” I murmured.
“Ah, I’d welcome the coolness, but I think it will have to wait because that’s something you can’t do.” I could hear the challenge in his tone. He’d been baiting me all week in our training together. We both knew my powers were growing, but I couldn’t bring them to the surface fast enough to appease him.
Meadow sat in a chair off to the side, close to Ailaina, never interfering. I glanced over at her. “Some help you are.”
She grinned. “Esmerelda, you need to concentrate.”
I glared at her. “Oh go drink some blood or something.”
She was certainly not the same since turning into a vampire. All she cared about was my training—and blood. It was like being a hostage at a witchcraft military training camp.
I let out an exasperated sigh as I focused on my task. Tingles fluttered through my hands the more I thought. Lifting my arms, I pushed in Victor’s direction using all of my energy. I caught him off guard and flipped him over into the pool with a big splash.
He came up coughing and sputtering. Water splashed onto the tile around me. Something about how I would pay left his wet lips, but I didn’t care. I just accomplished throwing him in the pool, and it was worth it. The smile on my face spread wider as he choked on a mouthful of chlorinated water.
“Oh my gosh! You did it. You did it.” Ailaina bounded over, grabbing my hands and jumped. Her smile lit up her whole face, but I was too tired to bounce around with her. She stopped and placed a hand on her hip. “You’re allowed to show excitement. I mean, you finally did something to Victor.”
I grinned. “I know, but you have enough excitement for both of us. Right now, I’m just tired.”
Walking to the side of the pool, I offered my hand in a peace making gesture.
He waded over and took it, but using his magic, he managed to flip me over. I flew through the air, landing in the water behind him as he crawled out, dripping wet.
The chlorine burned my throat as I inhaled a mouth full of water. Gagging and coughing made it worse. Rising to the surface, I spit out the remaining water. “You jerk!” That was the only thing I said before his energy pushed me under again. Thankfully, I sucked in enough oxygen before going under.
He released his energy on me right before I ran out of air, allowing me to return to the surface. I could hear Victor laughing as I broke through the surface of the water, gasping for air. “What was that my dear? I couldn’t hear you.”
Ailaina strode over and slugged him in the shoulder. He had a bemused look across his face. If I weren’t so mad, I would have laughed—her petite little self against an aged warlock. Her long blonde braid swung around as she retreated to her chair.
Victor squatted down by the water. “Oh, I’m sorry, did you get wet?”
I clenched my jaw so I wouldn’t spit out what I honestly thought and swam to the opposite side. I could feel his presence on the other side of the pool and concentrated on the energy behind me, pretending I was finished.
I heard a loud splash and smiled wickedly. He deserved that one. Before I had the chance to stand up, a source of energy wrapped around my middle, pulling me back into the water. Learning from last time, I inhaled enough air before going under.
Bobbing to the surface, I treaded the water looking around for Victor. I concentrated on the energy of the water, churning it like a whirlwind under my feet. Victor pushed me under, so now I’d suck him in from beneath. He sucked in a gulp of air right before he went under.
I counted to ten then let go of the energy stirring the water, releasing him. I jumped from the water and onto the tiled edge. It took more strength to pull myself from the water this time because of my heavy, soaked clothes. I scanned the now stilling surface. Where was he? My heart raced. What if I held him under too long? Meadow even raced to the edge of the pool, looking for him.
I couldn’t wait any longer. Jumping back in, I dove under. I swam in all directions, popping above the surface to get oxygen then dive back under. I touched the bottom and scanned it like a catfish. Panic set in. Where did he go?
Pushing off the floor of the pool, I rose for another breath after seeing nothing. The sun’s rays danced on the water as I neared the surface. My head hit something hard as if the water turned into a sheet of glass on top. I pounded with my fists, and my chest burned from the lack of air. I thrust myself backward so I could kick the invisible barrier.
Nothing worked. I pushed the fear and panic away. I knew this had to be a new test. The tingling from the lack of oxygen started in my toes and fingers. Digging deep, I magicked the water around me to take form. The surface split with a crack, giving me hope. I pushed harder with my energy and gave a final push. The window of water exploded, shooting upward, disappearing into the night air.
I floated up and out of the water, gasping for air. My throat and lungs burned with each breath. Spinning in the water, I spotted Victor standing beside the pool, still dripping wet.
“Very good. Now if you don’t mind, I’m wet and exhausted.” He turned, walking away.
Meadow held out a towel for me, “I’m extremely proud of you. That took a lot.”
Swimming to the edge, I jumped out and snatched the towel from her grasp, scowling at her. “You just let him trap me like that?”
“He would never let anything happen to you. If you couldn’t figure it out, he would’ve lifted the spell. You were safe.”
“Es, are you okay?” Ailaina was at my side, her arms around my shoulders. I nodded at her, but I lied. I wasn’t okay, I was pissed.
Turning on my heel, I stomped away. I wanted a hot bath, food and bed… in that order.
I slammed my hands down on the grass as I lay on my back. “This is ridiculous.” Exhaustion crept into every part of my body, leaving me so weak that it came out in more of a whisper than the angry words I pushed for.
Since my training with Victor in the pool yesterday, the ante had raised and everything was much harder, making it excruciating and painful. Every muscle in my body screamed at me to stop moving, and just roll over and die. Victor wanted perfection and expected nothing less from me. I learned everything fast, and I did things Victor never thought were possible, but it never was enough.
The thing he admired most was my ability to materialize objects or transport them through the air. However, today was different. Jarak was the one I trained with.
I was grateful for the change in pace, but when Victor told me what I’d be doing, my
heart plummeted. It obviously wasn’t a drive to McDonalds.
Ailaina was sitting in the shade with a book. Her grin was contagious as she flipped another page of Cornerstone, by Misty Provencher. She giggled a little, and I knew she was absorbed into a whole other world. I sighed, wishing I could put my nose in a book, but instead I was stuck out in the sun with macho man. Training.
“You have to, Es. What if one day I’m not there to help?” Jarak interrupted my self-pity party and again posed himself in a fight position, holding his arms up as if he’d box my eyes in.
I took a different stance; one with my hands on my hips. “I have magic; I don’t need self-defense classes. Especially from someone who supposedly calls a wolf to do their dirty work for them.” Okay, that was a low blow, and I knew it, but maybe playing dirty would make for a short lesson. All week Victor tossed me around the yard as I fought against his magic. I didn’t need fists in my face as well.
Jarak grit his teeth and tensed up. “Some witch you are. How long did it take you to grow poison ivy with your magic? I doubt you could take me on anyway, with or without magic. And if I were you, I wouldn’t be docking the wolf thing.”
My cheeks heated. I’d been trying all week to grow that dang weed with Meadow. How dare he throw that in my face. It took me fifteen tries before I understood the magic I needed. That plant was more obnoxious than what I first thought.
Jarak didn’t have magic, so he had no clue what I needed to learn. The more I thought, the more I got upset. I marched over to where Jarak stood still posed. “Fine, but when you get hurt, I don’t want to hear you whine.”
“Don’t let him talk to you like that. Kick em’ where it counts!” It was good to know my bestie wasn’t too absorbed with the fictional hot male character from the book, not to notice when I needed my sidekick.
He guffawed before swinging his arm wide and locking it around my neck, spinning me around. He leaned in next to my ear. His breath was hot and tickled my neck. “It’ll take more than a wimpy witch to make me whine.”
I stood there wide–eyed as he released me. The whole thing was fast and unexpected. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the stupid weed I’d worked with all week. The one he picked on me for. It was sprouted about two inches off the ground where Victor brought it up for me to visualize.
Wimpy witch my ass. All of the week’s frustrations I had pent up churned inside me. I’d show him. The sprout grew another inch and blossoms formed into tiny leaves, letting me know I’d made a connection with it.
Jarak used his hands to beckon me. “Come on, I have all day for you to make me whine.”
I ignored him and focused on growing the ivy. It was no longer a sprout, but a full–grown wild plant with wide leaves covering the ground.
“Hey, wait a minute, Es. What are you doing?” His voice hinted at uncertainty with a small hesitation. He looked over to where I concentrated.
“Nothing.” I turned back around to face him.
“Whatever you’re thinking in that pretty little head, don’t.”
I held my arms up in front of me—boxing style—waiting for him to make a move. I’d be danged if he got me into another headlock.
We walked around each other in a tight circle. He held a smirk that made me think he was amused by all of this. The morning sun shone on his already bronzed skin, showing off his many days in the sun. For one short moment, I forgot I should be fighting.
We circled one more time before he reached out his arm, trying to get me off balance, but I was ready and moved out of the way before his hand made contact.
He backed up again making space between us. “Es, I mean it, don’t you even dare think about it.”
It was too late. He could beg all he wanted, but I wouldn’t change my mind. The bush sprang to full life as I used its energy to create my spell with it. My mind locked on my target, and I grinned.
After a deep breath, the spell came to life in my hands. All the energy sizzled as if I held a thousand fire ants in the palm of my hand. A green illuminated orb hovered over my cupped hands, growing in size. Tiny sparkles of magic floated out around the sphere.
Lunging forward, I threw the ball as fast as I could. It spiraled as if it went a hundred miles per hour, smashing into Jarak’s chest, covering him in a raw poison ivy spell. If he wasn’t a Guardian, my spell would’ve hurt him, soaking into his skin and making him sick. As it was, the only part of the poison ivy that would affect him was the sore itchiness.
He looked up at the sky, and threw his arms in the air, then exhaled loudly before turning away. He never said one more thing to me as he entered the house, letting me stand there with a smug look of victory on my face.
Lesson over.
Twelve
Esmerelda
I let out a sigh. I should apologize to him. It wasn’t fair of me to fight with magic since he didn’t have any to fight back with, but I couldn’t resist. I was extremely proud that I grew the plant and turned it into a spell. Magic was still like an exciting experiment I couldn’t wait to play with.
“Come on, Ailaina,” I sighed. “Let’s go inside.”
She closed her book and got up, adjusting her capri shorts and top. “I can’t believe you got him with that stuff. It’s gotta itch something fierce.”
We both laughed and moved toward the door. A movement by the side of the house caught my attention, and I slowed down. I so did not want to train anymore today. It was probably Victor playing tricks on me, luring me closer so he could send me flying back into the pool. Not today.
I slammed the sliding glass door shut behind us and marched to the stairs. Boisterous laughter filled the downstairs. I stopped before climbing a step and listened. Victor’s voice carried on the air. He was telling Meadow how I’d covered Jarak in Poison Ivy. If he was inside, then who was by the house?
I looked at Ailaina who stared at me. “What’s wrong?” she whispered.
I held my finger to my lips. “Shhhh. Stay here.” Something didn’t feel right. Every nerve inside me shook.
“Be careful.” A faint whisper flittered through my mind. I stopped to listen. I wasn’t sure if my mind was playing tricks on me or not, but I was certain I’d heard a voice.
I backed up and tiptoed to the front door. Using magic, I cleared a small circle through the frosted glass so I could peek through easily. Four people stood about six feet away from the house, about arm’s length apart in the driveway. They were in black trench coats with hoods that shadowed their faces.
Gasping, I moved away from the door, letting the glass return to its frosted state. Stepping lightly, I moved to the sitting room where Meadow and Victor still sat laughing over today’s training.
They both became quiet when they saw me enter. The look on my face must have spoken a thousand words, none of which I could make my throat mimic. I wasn’t sure who those people were, but I knew they meant trouble. Raising a finger to my mouth, I let them know to stay quiet. Ailaina descended the two bottom stairs where I left her and came to my side.
I held up four fingers, pointing to the front door then to the backyard. Victor jumped to his feet, and Meadow was like a blur headed to the front door.
Ree and Trevor were out hunting, so the house was silent, except for the sound of running water that came from the upstairs shower. A deep pit of despair settled in my stomach. I wished I hadn’t hit Jarak with that spell; otherwise he’d be there beside me. In the last week we’d become almost inseparable. It was weird not to have him with me right now. I tried to calm myself and focus. I also felt the need to protect my best friend. She didn’t have any magic, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to her. It was because of me that she was here in this situation to begin with.
“They’re dark hunters,” Victor’s voice entered my head. I shook off the intruding feeling and glanced over at him. I forgot I could talk to other witches or warlocks who could use the Spirit Element this way. I nodded and watched the windows to the back y
ard. He stood next to the back sliding door. His back against the wall as if the sunlight was poisonous.
I mentally looked for the same invisible rope I followed when I helped Meadow turn into a vampire. I found Victor pulling away from me, but I caught him before I lost the connection. Frowning at him as I mentally talked back to him. “What do they want?” I wanted to ask why he tried to pull away, but now was not the time.
“They’re coming, be prepared,” Meadow interceded. “I can’t reach Jarak. We need him—she needs him.” She gestured at me but talked to Victor.
Victor nodded and silently ascended the stairs, disappearing down the hall.
“Come out and play, Esmerelda,” a deep menacing voice taunted from outside the house.
Ailaina’s face went pale. I spun around in a full circle, but couldn’t decipher where the voice came from. It was like surround sound, filling the house from every angle. An echo squealed in my ears like a high-pitched weapon.
I doubled over, covering my ears with my hands. “Esmerelda, I know you’re in there.” The haunting voice loomed in the air as I squeezed my eyes shut.
Meadow was beside me, trying to pry my hands away from my ears. “Esmerelda, listen to me.”
“The noise—make it stop,” I cried out much louder than I needed.
“I don’t hear it,” Ailaina panicked.
“Jarak! Get her out of here, now.” I heard Meadow’s voice, but she sounded far away from where I was. There was a tight grip on my arms, and I knew it was Jarak. He moved me, although I didn’t know if he dragged me along, or if my legs were working.
Then, I was weightless, and I narrowed my eyes to a squint. Looking up at his face, I knew that he held me in his protective arms. Everything else blurred around me. I shut the world out with the close of my eyes.
Ailaina. Where was she? I couldn’t think long enough to ask. The pain overwhelmed me.
I prayed Jarak would take me far away from the evil shriek. “How long can you hold them off?” His voice sounded heavy but still held its normal tone of confidence. I knew I was safe with him.
