Witch in the Attic Claudy Conn-First2

by Claudy Conn

  Sure, Mom was out of reach. Couldn’t sit down and figure things out with her, but I had her in my head, reminding me about what was important. Yeah, I didn’t have to use Dark Magic, but I could be just as ruthless against Morlan when I went into full White Magic mode.

  Focus, I told myself, and went into my head. I needed to find the spell for opening a portal. It was there, right there behind door number…?

  I could see the words emerge as the door opened, then they were gone as the door slammed shut.

  What? What the blooming hell was that?

  Okay, I was going to get that door open and then… plan it, work it, what next?

  Well, I knew that Morlan had always been throwing lures my way. He wanted me in his bed, and now, I am certain, he wants me because of my key thing.

  Could I use that to my advantage? Get to him, pretend to want him and whatever power he means to offer in order to win me? Could I manage not spitting in his face?

  Not sure.

  He was the fiend who murdered my father. How was I supposed to put that aside and flirt with him?

  He would wonder at it.

  Whenever he had come on to me in the past, before the war, I had been grossed out. I had never found his particular brand of looks to my taste. It was his character that revolted me. Everything about him was wicked. Some of my friends had thought him devilishly handsome. I just found him devilish.

  He wasn’t going to give up trying to locate me. He had two things in mind when he decided I was his ‘one. ’ Sex and power.

  Apparently, I fit the bill for him. He had some fuzzy notion that we were destined to be mated. Yeah, right. Never! Going. To. Happen.

  Staying out of his reach was, however, a problem because I needed to get closer to him to destroy him. I needed to get close enough, call on my Death Sword, and drive home the blade.

  Before he had killed my dad, I had pleaded for everyone to lay down their magical weapons and return to the table to work things out.

  For the time being, that notion has been shelved.

  Now, all I want is to take on Morlan on my own. He was mine and yes, it was personal. Also, taking him down would put everyone back on the road to peace, so it wasn’t all about revenge. Well, not really.

  My gramps had not agreed with my plan.

  Hence, the hard shove through the portal.

  My stomach made some strange noises and interrupted my thoughts.

  It had been a long time since I had eaten and suddenly my body made a demand as my stomach gurgled and began to weep. I tried to ignore it, but then it screamed, ‘food. ’

  How could I eat? Why would I want to?

  Strength. You need it to kill Morlan.

  Hunger brought me to a sense of survival. I had to take care of myself if I was going to accomplish my goals.

  I went to the attic door. It creaked open and I stood for a moment. I didn’t hear anyone belowstairs. Good. I took light steps down the attic stairs to the first landing, one of the doors was open and I saw that it was a bedroom. I moved on to the next set of stairs to the main floor.

  I mentally scanned the entire house at this point. Yup, I was alone, so I made my way (wondering what all the mirror balls hanging from the ceiling were about) through the house and found the kitchen. What was up with those mirror balls? We went through that phase in Rucker ages ago.

  The kitchen was much like our own and I found some cheese and stuffed my face. I drank a bottle of water, which we don’t have in our realm. Bottled water, good idea. Then I took a good look at my surroundings.

  On my way back to the attic, I saw and snatched up a box of something labeled, Gourmet cookies. Yes. That would need… milk. I had seen milk in the fridge.

  An odd looking goblet of sorts sat right on the table, so I took it up, filled it with milk, and hurried back to the attic. I love cookies and milk.

  Back in the attic, after consuming a wicked amount of Gourmet cookies, I sat cross-legged and tried to find a spell that would allow me to locate my gramps.

  About twelve inches opened into what looked like an oval movie screen. Good spell. Never used it before. “Gramps,” I called.

  Mistake. Big mistake.

  Not my Gramps’ ridiculously young and handsome face stared back at me, but Morlan’s in full and blatant color. He wore red and black silks and a cape. Who wears capes anymore?

  A gray mist surrounded him, so I couldn’t determine his location.

  He looked smug and I wanted to cut his sneering lips off. Damn, I never knew I was inwardly this bloodthirsty.

  “Dilly, I feel your presence. I know you are there. Come to me, woman. In the end, you will realize you must come to me. If you come now, you will save yourself more grief. You have to realize that I have the power to find you. Dilly, can’t you see what we will be together? You will be my mate and enjoy ruling with me. Think of the possibilities. Why don’t you admit what we both know? You want me, and you want to rule. You are a born leader. Share my throne, be one with me. Come to me now, and I will allow your grandfather and mother to live.”

  “Like I believe you are even close to finding them,” I snapped. I so wanted to tear and bloody his face—his hateful, smirking face.

  “Do you think I won’t find them? Don’t be foolish, Dilly. Together, we can do so many wonderful things for our citizens. We can bring the covens together under our rule. Isn’t that what you want? Peace? Come to me now, and we will talk about the beauty of peace.” His voice was cajoling, but I have never trusted him. So, why would I start now when I had every reason not to?

  “Drop dead,” I told him. “No, wait, that would deprive me of the pleasure of slicing you into a zillion pieces.”

  “Don’t you care about our citizens? So many will be spared if you join me.”

  “You murdered my father. You lie every single time you open your mouth. You need killing and I need to do that killing.”

  “You misjudge me. And know this, I have wanted you for years. Your family stood between us. Now they no longer will be able to. Come to me.”

  He made me sick to my stomach.

  I shut him down before he could center his magic to find mine.

  I turned on Jeeves’ Gourmet cookies and downed them in short order.

  Not sure I even tasted them as I thought of how I would make Morlan bleed.

  ~ Two ~

  I MUST HAVE fallen asleep because I came to with a start. Banging. Someone was banging around downstairs.

  I instinctively wanted to use magic to discover who it was, but now that Morlan had used my magic ‘viewing’ to get to me, I had to be careful.

  I opened the attic door and took a few steps down. I could hear whoever it was, but I couldn’t get a glimpse of more than broad shoulders.

  A man. Oh yeah, definitely a man.

  I don’t know why I didn’t just go back into the attic. I needed to stay hidden until I could figure out what my next move should be.

  So, of course, I went all the way down both sets of stairs and watched a big, perfectly formed, hulk of a man wave his hand over the room as he flicked his wrist.

  What was he? He wasn’t human and I sure didn’t get the scent of a warlock.

  I took another step toward him. He turned to face me, and we both got a full frontal view of each other.

  Oh holy shitsky.

  He was gorgeous.

  Dark blond hair was slicked back and braided at the nape of his neck. Slender bands of rune tattoos covered his naked, big, very big biceps.

  He wore only a brown leather vest over his naked chest where a gold torque dangling a pendant, with similar runes etched on its flat surface, rested against his hard chest. My eyes drank him in. He let me look him over without a word because he was doing the same.

  Those runes? I had seen them before somewhere, but I couldn’t think.

  At that moment, all I could do was stare and then stare some more over his abs, past his slim waist to his… oh holy crap! He was at full
attention!

  I looked past that, as quickly as I could, to the tight fitting leather pants, which amply displayed his muscular thighs. On his feet were brown sandals.

  I hadn’t been much of a student as a teenager. I was too busy with art, music, and parties. I now wished I had paid more attention to lessons, lessons that might have helped me identify just what this hunk was.

  I had been like all my friends, more interested in boys than studies. A grin slid into place as I remembered one or two of those ‘boys. ’

  This was no boy.

  He took a step towards me. I took a step back.

  His silver eyes sparkled like diamonds. He looked me over again, more quickly this time, then sniffed the air.

  Where I am from, Shifters will, upon meeting you for the first time, immediately take in a good whiff. So I understood, he was filing away my scent. The only thing here was, I didn’t get Shifter vibe off him.

  At least, not like any Shifter I had ever known. Maybe their vibes here in this realm were way different? Maybe?

  “Who are you and what are you looking for,” I demanded, as if this was my home. It was ludicrous how protective over Zelda’s house, a place I was squatting in, I felt.

  Damn, if that didn’t bring him in closer. There was scarcely an inch between us, then his hands were on my waist. Next thing I knew, I was dangling a foot off the ground as he held me up to his level and stared, looking at me like I was some new and rare specimen.

  How the hell did he get to me so fast? I never saw him move.

  “Put me down,” I spluttered.

  “Forgive me,” he said. He sounded sincere as he set me on my feet. “I was overcome at finally finding you. My orb wasn’t able to track you. Though, it did find the chalice.”

  Chalice? I remembered the odd looking goblet I had just used for my milk.

  Oh holy shit, was that the chalice he meant? Nah, couldn’t be. At any rate, I wasn’t saying anything about it. At least, not until I had more information.

  “What do you mean you were overcome to finally find me? Why were you looking for me?” I asked, instead of giving anything away.

  “Once I discovered Rucker had slipped into a devastating war, and reported it to my queen, we began watching the most powerful entities at the helm of the conflict. That was when I discovered that you were much more than a witch, making it my mission to look into your activities,” he said, still studying my face, as though he wanted to dissect my mind.

  “Why do you sound like you come from another century? And what do you mean you have been watching?” This was a new fork in an already complicated road. I didn’t like it. Did he know? Did he know I was the key?

  “Yes,” he said, as though reading my mind. “I know.”

  “Hey, are you in my head somehow? How could you be without my knowing?”

  “No, I am not in your head, but your concerns were written all over your face. Yes, I know that you are the key to the Dark Chamber. But, I also know, you aren’t even aware of how much more you are. Your father, being an immortal, no doubt expected to continue in his role as the key. You were his child. He wanted you to enjoy your childhood, even as you grew into adulthood, to him, you must have appeared a child still. He never believed the day would come where he wouldn’t be around to train or protect you. Your magic is like no other in your realm. It comes from an ancient source. It is not to be taken lightly. “He heaved a long sigh. “The prophecy has begun.”

  Was he telling me the truth? Every instinct screamed that he was.

  I had questions. “Prophecy? What prophecy? Whose prophecy?”

  He smiled. “The Prophecy of the Dark Chamber of Rucker.”

  “What? I never heard of any such prophecy.” I folded my arms across my chest, I think because he was staring at my nipples. And yes, hell yes, they were popping out of my little, black, knit top. All my hormones were on ‘high alert’ and asking to be stroked.

  He grinned, again, like he was reading my mind. I have to get a handle on my facial expressions.

  “Another matter you should have been educated on how to deal with.” He waved this away. “Very well, you need to now know about the prophecy.”

  “Yes, I need to know now,” I repeated stupidly. This hunk had turned my usually active, bright mind into mush.

  He said, as though reciting a poem:

  “Dark Chamber of Spells blesses the witch’s hand.

  Sifting, sifting, sifting over Rucker land.

  Beware

  The light extinguished – darkness blights all.

  One will stand against evil’s call.

  Beware

  Donai hovers, and falls, but she may shine.

  Crossing, ever crossing the dark line.

  Beware.”

  “Okay, what the holy hell does that mean?” I hate riddles. Really. I like facts. I can deal with facts, no matter how awful they are. Put them on the table and I’ll deal, but riddles and stupid prophecies never make sense to me.

  He shrugged his broad shoulders. I mean, he only shrugged and I was frozen in place, watching those muscles of his. I wanted to touch.

  Instead, I purposely gave him a look, hoping that look said what I felt about this so-called prophecy.

  He laughed and said, “I don’t like it any more than you do. That is the nature of a prophecy. Someone with the sight, long ago, repeated what was seen. The sight can only predict what is likely. It is never written in stone. So, to answer you, I don’t know what the frigging hell it means. We might know more when it starts to play out, but this much I do know, though I haven’t shared it with my queen, you are connected to the Dark Chamber of Spells, so you are at the heart of the prophecy.”

  “Frigging? You said frigging. You talk like you are ‘old world’ and then you don’t. Where are you from and what the hell are you?” I cocked a grin at him. One minute, he was reserved and the next, he sounded more natural. Who was this guy?

  He laughed. “Yes, in male company, I would have said a great deal worse.”

  I looked into those silver eyes and got to the point. “Well, don’t clean it up for me, and try and answer my question. Where are you from and while you are at it, what the frig are you?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Now, have you seen a chalice… you might have thought it to be an antique goblet?”

  “Why? What is so important about it?”

  “The prophecy mentions Donai. So I can’t be sure it is referring to the Chalice of Donai, but I thought I had better find and secure it where it can’t be misused.”

  “What makes you think it is here?” I asked.

  “In the first place, my orb pinpointed its location at Witch Zelda’s house, and in the second place… well, that doesn’t matter.”

  “Yes, it does, what is the second place?”

  “A hundred years ago, when the queen heard of the Prophecy of Rucker, she requested the Donai Chalice be brought to her. My brother complied and she sent it off… without giving us its location. The queen is absentminded about our relics and couldn’t remember exactly where she sent it.”

  “So you used the orb to locate it and it brought you here.” I got it.

  “Quick-witted,” he teased, and stepped closer to me.

  This time, I made no move to step back. Something—maybe my libido, maybe my wayward hormones, maybe something else… drew me to him, but it wasn’t just me. He was being drawn just as I was, as though an invisible cord attached itself between us. That cord was full of positive energy, drawing us both into a vortex of sensations. I sure as hell didn’t want out, but I broke free because I had to think.

  When I caught my breath and steadied myself, I asked, “So, another question: what do you want with the chalice?”

  “Simply to keep it safe, and out of Morlan’s hands,” he said, and I believed him. He touched my chin with his finger. Whew! Sparks of sensations that nearly made me woozy.

  He said, “Dilly, to answer your first question, I am Kallem of
Donai. The chalice belongs to my family. It is our right to keep it safe, now that the situation—the magical war in Rucker… has escalated, it will affect the balance. The situation for us all is precarious.”

  I sucked in air. I needed air, a whole lot of it. I had no idea who Kallem of Donai was, what it meant, but it sounded like a big deal. I squeaked, “Kallem of Donai? Which makes you… what?”

  “A prince of my realm, and Donai is one of the Five Royal Houses of my realm. We only had four houses originally, but another had evolved over time and has been brought into the royal fold only recently,” he answered, as though it wasn’t anything important. It was. It was at the heart of what he was.

  “A prince? You are a freakin’ prince?”

  He laughed. “Why does that overset you?”

  “Overset? Who is overset? I just didn’t expect a prince. I mean, honestly, how many princes go about doing anything but princely things.”

  “Looking out for our Universe is a princely thing,” he said seriously, but those silver eyes were twinkling.

  Oh, hot frigging damn, I was too attracted to this big dude, no doubt about it. I had to shut off my screaming hormones and center myself.

  “And tracking me is looking out for the Universe?” I scoffed.

  He lowered his head and his lips, his luscious lips, almost brushed against mine. I wanted them to. I held my breath, hoping this prince’s lips would find their way to mine.

  Sweet needy me! He was hot—making me hot. I was thinking about touching, kissing, and wrapping my legs around his waist and… what the bloomin’ heck was wrong with me!

  My body was overriding my brain.

  I was reacting to him in ways I had never experienced before. Time to move out of range. I took a step back. He was talking, I realized, he was telling me something.

  “In order to keep you out of Morlan’s hands, yes, tracking you just might help keep the Universe safe, you safe,” he said thoughtfully, and a grim look took over his handsome face.

  I put a hand on his chest because he had moved in on me again, but instead of holding him at bay, I stupidly, distractedly ran my finger over his hard flesh. Lips? I tasted lips. Yeah, my lips. I was licking my lips. Holy good gosh, what was wrong with me?