“Here comes the choice,” Leo still looked grim. “The Coven happens to have a plastic surgeon on staff who can treat your brother.”
She narrowed her eyes, afraid of what was coming next. “Go on.”
“As Seb here said, we’re not going to force you to choose between the Coven and the Order. But here’s the thing. In payment for the plastic surgeon’s skills, you have to agree to Coven membership for six months along with all training needed to manage your skills. If after that time you wish to join the Order, we will not stand in your way. If you choose to renounce your magic you’ll at least be able to do so safely.”
“Seb’s right; it’s not a choice. I’ll join the Coven for at least six months.”
“Then it’s settled.”
Leo nodded. “I’d best get scrubbed in.”
“What?”
As Leo left, Seb informed her glumly, “He’s the surgeon.”
While the nurse went to get Ms. Kincaid to fill out all of the requisite permissions for Leo to operate on her brother, he went to go scrub in. He felt absolutely terrible about putting the choice to her like that. He wasn’t an unfeeling person, he just needed... something. What would the other doctors say to that: the great Dr. Pantaleon Ward, baffled by a woman?
He even went so far as to admit to himself that a great bit of his offer was because he was strongly attracted to the woman, and could commiserate with her situation. Her mother’s attitude on magic was very similar to his own mother’s attitude.
Then again, there was that magnetism. He wanted to run his fingers through her long tresses as he pulled her towards him.... He had to snap out of this. He was going into the operating room to treat her brother for god’s sake.
The nurse gave him a copy of her brother’s picture. Luckily for all of them, Ms. Kincaid (as he had to think of her in his mind so he didn’t think of how lusciously curvaceous she was) had been carrying a recent picture of her brother in her wallet. That made Leo’s job easier.
A professional above all else, he set everything aside and got to work.
But, hours later as he scrubbed his face in the bathroom after the procedure, she came back to his mind. What was he doing? The woman was far too tempting to be around her for the next six months. He should have just done the surgery and set up some kind of payment plan with her insurance. If she had insurance.
He’d just have to spend more time at Ward Manor, his home near the Coven House mansion outside of Boston. Hopefully, he could go into seclusion there and not venture to the Coven House much at all for the next six months. This was going to be tough.
Why did he enter into this kind of Devil’s Bargain with such an attractive woman?
Leo decided to do the irresponsible thing and duck out of the hospital before his brother or Ms. Kincaid could see him. They were lucky, or unlucky as the case may be, that he was there at all. He had just finished another surgery when Seb called to let him know that he had rescued a person with severe burns and to ask if there was something he could do.
He’d tell himself that he would stay away from reconstructive surgery, but that was his favorite part of the job. He loved taking a person with some kind of disfiguration with not enough money to pay for most surgeons and make them look like they wanted to. Charity cases made for even more fulfilling work.
But in any case, he was there, and he did help the burn victim. He may never be perfect again, but he’d be dramatically better off than before Leo showed up. He’d probably need a few other times under the knife to look his best though.
So Leo crept out of the hospital. It was bright daylight, which didn’t work at all with his mood. By that reasoning, indeed, it should be overcast and raining. He got to his car and halfway back to Ward Manor before his cell phone started ringing in earnest. He looked at the caller ID and decided not to answer his brother. He left some kind of presumably angry voicemail, and after that beep, the phone went silent.
A few miles later, and his phone was ringing again. This time it was his twin sister who shared Ward Manor with him. He couldn’t resist her call, even knowing that it had something to do with the debacle earlier.
“Dymphna, my dearest other half, how are you?”
“Cut the charm, brother. The Duke called,” meaning that Seb had gone full-on Coven leader, “and he’s pissed at you, which is spilling out into being pissed at me. You know I hate it when he starts yelling. What’s going on out there?”
“You at home?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen. Can my explanation wait til then?”
“Yeah.”
“If it’s Seb, don’t answer and don’t let him in. As you noticed, he’s in a rare mood.”
“I haven’t seen him this emotional in years. I love it.”
“Well, gotta drive now. See you soon.”
Man, if Seb was reaching out to Dymphna to get to Leo, something was going on that even Leo didn’t comprehend. Maybe she could shed some light on the situation.
His daydreams of the beautiful Ms. Kincaid were again banished by the ringing of his cell phone. It was Seb again, so Leo just ignored it. With another voicemail alert ding, he got to the door of the Manor.
It was one of those big stately houses that just weren’t made anymore. Sure, it creaked like nothing else and the house seemed to have a mind of its own about rejecting modernization like central air and heat, but it was beautiful. The biggest flaw in the house was that he and his sister were both workaholics, and they had really just never gotten around to decorating the place. The entryway had a single ratty old rug that someone had abandoned there before the twins moved in.
When they had paid someone to do all the wiring, modernization, plumbing, and whatnot, the contractor had gotten them a nice kitchen appliance set. But next to the shiny new refrigerator was a folding table and chairs, which was where Leo found Dymphna.
“Has the Duke called again?” He asked, sitting down in the brown metal chair and pulling his sister’s carton of ice cream towards him.
“Nah. But he will again, and soon. Tell me everything before he does.”
“It started with a car accident,” and he told her all of it, including his price for Selby’s reconstructive surgeries.
“Really now? What’s she like?”
“Ms. Kincaid? She’s... oh I don’t know, D.”
“It’s like that then? All calling her by her last name and you can’t even think of a single adjective that would describe her. You’ve been around other witch couples before, you know how two people’s magic can call to each other. They say it can happen quickly and unexpectedly. Are you sure you’re not experiencing something like that?”
“You’re awfully quick to jump to conclusions. You’re being fanciful, which is altogether unlike you. Where’s my battle hardened cynic when I need her? Or did Seb say something?”
Dymphna grinned. “I’m still there. And yeah, Seb did comment that it may be something like that. In fact, my next point was going to be that you should be extra careful around her. Remember, even if your magic makes you think that you love her or some such stupid notion, you’d better be awfully sure before you do something even more stupid.”
“I know. I’m not in any shape to be falling in love. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a wreck, and I’m hardly fit for loving somebody else..”
“You and me both. Mommy dearest sure did screw us both over pretty hard, didn’t she?”
“That’s for sure.”
“So look, I know you need to figure out what kind of magical bond, if any, exists between you and Ms. Kincaid. Go for it. You haven’t had a bed-mate in a while anyway.”
“Dymphna!”
“You and I both know it.” She grinned unrepentantly. “Get yourself some condoms and go have a good time. But before you come to me with some kind of romantic malarkey, you’d better take a good look at the situation and have a good long think about what happened to our parents.”
�
�I will.” He headed for the stairway that would lead him up to his bedroom.
“Hey Pants!” He grinned at the nickname she had used for him since childhood. “Drugstore’s the other way!”
He laughed, but she did have a point. Maybe this attraction to Ms. Kincaid was from his recent lack of women. He always said he didn’t have time for a woman, but he knew it was more than he never made time for a woman. So why shouldn’t he just get her out of his system? Even if their magic is some kind of a match, that doesn’t mean that they are, and he would just deal with breaking it off with her later.
“You know, you’re right!” He headed out.
19
CHAPTER TWO
Skylar sat with her brother in his hospital room, staring at Seb. Her brother still hadn’t woken yet, but the doctors said that he would be fine. They even said it may be a blessing for him to sleep a bit longer since even the morphine wouldn’t be able to remove the pain, just dull it.
Seb was pacing again. He had tried calling Leo three times now. Each time he left an angry voice mail. He also called a woman named Dymphna, and ranted at her for a while. She likely gave as good as she got, considering that Seb was still fuming when he got off the phone with her.
“Seb? Or is it Sebastian?”
“I thought I already told you that wasn’t my name.”
21
THE DOCTOR WITCH
“Just because you don’t use it doesn’t mean it’s not your name.”
“It’s not my name by any definition of the word.”
“Then what is? Surely after all the secrets you’ve thrown at me today, and considering that I’ll be studying at your headquarters for the next six months, don’t you think I at least get to know your name?”
“You’re trying to distract me from my anger, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I can tell you’re not a man who gets mad often. You’re very bad at it.” She said matter-of-factly.
“Why do you say that?”
“Your name first.”
“Alright,” he grinned. He had a nice smile, but Skylar couldn’t help comparing it to his brother’s stunning smile with his dimples. No, she shouldn’t think of the conniving jerk who made her choose between her brother’s health and joining the Coven.
“Eusebius.”
“I didn’t expect that one.”
“It’s a long sordid story, but what it boils down to is that our mother named all four of us after Catholic saints.”
“How did she choose which ones?”
“Look them up some time. You’ll figure it out; you’re a smart woman.”
“Then what are the other names?”
“It’s me and my twin Justin. Then there’s Leo, short for Pantaleon,” Skylar tried to stifle a snort at his full name, “and his twin Dymphna.”
“She was creative.”
“She was something, that’s for sure. After all, Justin’s the only one who got a name that’s still in use today. Now, Ms. Kincaid...”
She interrupted him. “Remember, we’re stuck with each other for the next six months. Even though I expect we won’t see each other much since you’ll be busy leading the coven, and I’ll be busy trying to learn how to use my magic as well as do my day job, I still want you to call me Skylar.”
“Umm, Skylar... you’re going to hate this. While you’re in training, that is your job. It’s nine to five, Monday through Friday.”
“What?”
“You’re going to have to call your boss and inform him that you’ll need a leave of absence for the next six months.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Training takes a lot of time and dedication each day. For the sake of all of us, you have to be trained. I’m not budging on this point. I can’t change the rules for anyone.”
“How will I pay my bills? Selby clearly isn’t going to be able to work for a while, and if I’m not working either, we’ll lose our apartment, our cars, our everything! We barely make enough now to pay all those bills.”
He scratched his head. “You’re going to hate this next part even more.”
“Well, I’m committed to this course of action. The surgery has been done, and I’ve got to pay for it by joining the Coven for six months. What’s the next whammy you’re going to lay on me?”
“You’ll be moving into the Coven House. All trainees live there or close by. The Coven will pay your bills so that in six months you can go back to your normal life. Selby will be moved to a facility that can take care of him, and again, all bills paid.”
“Oh god. Again, I’ve got to do it, so I can’t complain too hard, right?”
“You’re free to complain, but there’s nothing I can do.”
“So what’s next?”
“What’s next is that since Selby won’t be conscious and coherent for a while, you’re going to write him a note. Say something about a great opportunity, that you’ll be staying with friends, whatever. But don’t mention witches, the Coven, or anything like that. You never know who else might be reading it. You can explain it all to him later, in person. You’re basically sworn to secrecy.”
“I understand.”
“Do you have a car?”
“Yes.”
“Then go get anything from your apartment that you’ll need. You’ll have some days off, so if you forget anything, it’s not a big deal. Meet me at the Coven House as soon as possible.”
“Alright.”
“I know you hate this, but I’ll try to make it as easy for you as possible.”
“Thank you.”
Skylar did as instructed. She wrote a vague note to Selby, crossing her fingers that he wouldn’t be too mad. In a way, this was all for him. Not that she could tell him that in her note.
Once back at their little apartment, she called her boss to tell him that she needed a leave of absence. He informed her quite bluntly that if she didn’t show up to work, she was fired. Wasn’t the first time she’d been fired. So she quit. Again, no choice. How she hated it.
She cursed heartily as she gathered up some clothes and toiletries from her room. She also brought her e-book reader, her laptop, and a family photo album. Almost to the door, Skylar’s thoughts that had been so rattled came back to the handsome doctor. She might be able to tempt him enough to pay him back for messing up her life. So she rushed back into the bedroom and shoved some of her sexy underwear and a teddy into her suitcase. The only condoms in the house looked old and were covered in dust. Just as well, because she didn’t intend to actually let him touch her.
She continued cursing the handsome men who were ruining her life as she drove. Everything was spinning out of control, and it was all happening too fast. Just yesterday, her biggest worry was some vague notion of Aunt Linda’s ghost coming for her. And she didn’t even believe in ghosts.
She was following the GPS instructions as the little machine called them out to her, but soon she was convinced that the annoying voice was wrong. This area outside of Boston was gorgeous and wicked expensive. There were tree lined streets everywhere, and giant mansions. Surely a secretive group of witches wouldn’t live out here.
A few more twists and turns later, the machine binged and announced that she was at her destination. As she parked in the driveway, which could be called a parking lot and already included a large number of cars, she saw the largest private residence she had ever laid eyes upon.
The architect must have been on some kind of drugs when he built the place, because it was a sprawling mansion that had no kind of continuity. Even from the outside, she could tell that it had been expanded numerous times without regard to making a unified style. In fact, each wing of the place, and there were more wings than anyplace needed, looked different.
If this was where she would be staying for the next six months, she’d likely need a map, it was so big.
She walked up the stairs to the front door and knocked timidly. Moments later, it swung open to reveal a woman with frizzy red hair.
>
“Hi I’m Suzie and welcome to the Coven House you must be part of the New York sect and I’ll show you to the meeting room immediately don’t you just love this place Boston is so fabulous isn’t it” She continued so fast and Skylar was convinced there wasn’t a single bit of punctuation in her entire monologue.
“I’m not from New York,” Skylar tried to tell her, but Suzie was going so fast that she clearly didn’t hear the other woman. Luckily, she saw Seb walking down the stairs. He was dressed in pressed slacks and a button down shirt, which was certainly better than the singed clothes she had seen him in earlier. He looked so serious though. Skylar waved to get his attention.
“Suzie,” he started, but the woman didn’t even hear him. “Suzie.” This time he was louder, and his voice carried the sound of a command. She actually stopped talking. “Thank you. Ms. Kincaid is not from New York. She is going to be a member of the Coven and training here for the next six months.”
Suzie’s eyes got wide, and she looked over Skylar with a new interest. “Oh.”
“Please find her a room to stay in while she is here.”
“But sir, there are no rooms.”
“What do you mean?” His voice was sharp.
“The visitors from the New York sect are taking up all the spare rooms.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. This Seb was so much different than the one she had seen in the hospital. This must be the Duke, and not Seb at all. Then he gave them a wry smile. He walked over to one of the beautiful vases that decorated the marble entryway and fingered one of the flowers.
“Leo got us into this problem, and I know how to pay him back.”
“Excuse me?” Suzie asked.
“As I told Ms. Kincaid, all trainees must live at the Coven House or close by. Ward Manor is awfully close, is it not?”
“Yes sir, but...”
“No buts. Ms. Kincaid, I apologize, but would you be willing to stay at Ward Manor with Leo and Dymphna until we can get you a room here?”
“That’s not a problem.”
The Doctor Witch (The Ward Witches) Page 2
