by Jane Hinchey
"I know you're going to kill me," she began, setting her glass back on the table, "but what about Zak? When you leave his body, will he come back?"
"I can extinguish his soul. Or exit his body with no ill effects."
"And he wouldn't remember any of this?" She waved her hand around the restaurant.
"No. He's not watching through my eyes. He's in a void."
"What about you? Your body, I mean. Where is it?"
"Nice try, little witch." He shook his head, lip curling in a grin.
"Is this how you hunt them? By taking other people's bodies? Because they can't sense you at all when you're occupying someone else?" It was the only thing that made logical sense. Melissa had no clue the hunter had taken up residence within Zak. She was the only one who knew the truth.
He took a drink of beer, eyeing her over the rim of his glass. Okay, he clearly had no intention of spilling all his tricks and secrets. Fair enough. She still hadn't come up with a plan to get out of this. It wasn't just a matter of physical escape. She had Zak to think about. And Skye. If she got away from the hunter, he could kill them in seconds. With no remorse. She shuddered, looking away.
"Ready to go?"
Nodding, she placed her napkin on the table and rose. As much as she hated to admit it, the evening with him had been enjoyable, and she hadn't planned on that. Enjoying the company of the man who was going to kill you and your family? What the hell was wrong with her?
The walk back to the hotel was in silence. Zak didn't touch her, just walked by her side, matching his stride to hers. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts: how alive her body felt after the meal they'd shared, how she felt so full of energy and power it was if her feet might float up from the pavement and she could take flight. She wanted to talk about it, marvel in it, but she feared the consequences of confiding in him because right now, she felt like she could explode with magic. The very thing he was seeking to extinguish.
"Wait." A thought occurred and she stopped dead in her tracks. He stopped and looked at her, dark brow arched.
"Your objective is to kill the witches, destroy the magic, right?" He inclined his head.
"But you have magic. To do what you do, you use magic."
"I guess." He continued walking and she scurried to catch up.
"That doesn't make sense. You're using magic to destroy magic."
"I didn't set the wheels in motion. I'm not the instigator, just the tool."
"But to use magic, you have to be a witch too!" she exclaimed. The change was immediate. His face shut down, anger flashing in his eyes, his shoulders stiff. Dropping the bag containing her new clothes, he grabbed her by the shoulders and propelled her into the trunk of a tree flanking the footpath. Hard.
"Enough!" he shouted, his voice harsh.
"But..."
"NO!" His hand wrapped around her throat and he lifted her from her feet. Gasping and clawing at his hand, she fought for breath.
"Hey! Everything okay over there?" A car had pulled to a crawl, and a middle-aged man rolled down his window and called out to them. Zak released his grip and she dropped back to the ground, her own hands massaging her neck.
"Everything is fine," Zak called over his shoulder.
"Miss?" The man didn't believe him.
"I'm fine. Everything is fine," she called out, blowing out a shaky breath.
"You sure? I can give you a lift somewhere," the stranger offered.
"Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. Thank you." The man eyed her for a little longer before winding up his window and driving off.
"Smart move," Zak muttered, pushing past her to pick up the bag from where he'd dropped it on the sidewalk.
"I couldn't imagine you'd let me leave with him."
"He's lucky he's still breathing as it is. You're pushing the wrong buttons with me, little witch. You'd better be prepared for the consequences. Now move." He gave her shoulder a nudge and she took the hint, falling into step ahead of him.
Stretching, Georgia opened her eyes to sunlight peeking through the curtains. She'd had what felt like the best sleep ever. She'd been pleasantly surprised when digging through the bag of clothes that Zak had bought her pajamas. Admittedly she figured he'd meant them as a joke—Minnie Mouse print cotton pants and a hot pink tank top with Mickey and Minnie kissing in a love heart on the front. She'd laughed when she found them. Hugging them to her chest, she'd hurried into the bathroom to change, snapping the tags off on the way.
He'd been busy on his phone, sitting in the chair by the window. He didn't look up when she returned and slipped into bed unnoticed. She stirred at some point in the night and his arms had tightened around her, pulling her close, and she slipped back into sleep. Now as she stretched and sat up, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Morning sleepyhead." Melissa greeted her from the bathroom door. She was dressed, hair brushed and toothbrush in hand.
"Morning." Georgia flung the covers back. "Where's Zak?"
"Gone to get breakfast and organize a car rental. What's this?" Her aunt indicated the Minnie Mouse pajamas.
"Oh, we went shopping last night after you crashed out. You like?" Georgia laughed.
"With everything I've heard about Zak Goodwin, I would have thought he'd buy you a silk negligee, not cartoon characters." Melissa shrugged. Georgia's smile disappeared. She had a point. Zak would never have bought her something like this...the choice had been pure hunter. It was a sobering thought.
Melissa finished up in the bathroom. "It's all yours."
Throwing her bag onto the bed, she dug out a fresh set of clothes and headed into the bathroom to change. After a quick wash, she slipped into her new jeans, grimacing a little at the stiffness of the denim. She pulled on a purple T-shirt and a gray hoodie. Sitting on the toilet, she pulled on socks and new boots. She eyed herself critically in the mirror as she finger combed her hair before twisting it into a braid and securing it with the hair tie she kept around her wrist.
Melissa was sitting on her bed, the grimoire in her lap.
"Aunt Melissa?" Georgia sat on her own bed and looked at her aunt.
"Mmhmm?"
"I've been thinking. About the hunter and the witches."
"Yeah?"
"The hunter has to have some magic of his own, right? For him to be able to find you guys, to sleep for ten years and then awaken? This has been going on for generations, so he's no mere mortal."
"I guess so."
"Is it possible he's a witch? Or at least part witch?"
Melissa cocked her head and scrunched up her face, deep in thought.
"I guess anything is possible," she admitted. "I hadn't really thought about it before."
"So..." Georgia twisted her hands in her lap. "If he's part witch...is there a spell that could, I don't know, take away his magic? Make him not a witch?"
"Stripping a witch’s powers is dark magic. Black magic. It's dangerous."
"But it could be done?"
"Theoretically," Melissa agreed. "But it wouldn't be easy."
"It would be a way to defeat him though."
"My coven is working on a spell. A spell we've never tried before." Melissa looked back down at the grimoire in her lap and smoothed her hands over it.
"Right, but didn't you say you needed twelve witches? And Skye's not with us to make up the twelve. Plus her powers haven't come in yet, so basically you're a witch down. Would the spell still work?"
"That’s what I need to talk to my sisters about. I believe you have tremendous magic in you, Georgia. Magic we could amplify for the spell." Melissa lowered her voice and leaned forward. "While I have you to myself for a minute there's something I must tell you." Georgia automatically mimicked her aunt’s movement, leaning in close.
"Witches and vampires? We don't normally mix. There's a natural distrust between the species."
"Right." Georgia nodded. She knew this.
"I don't want to make things awkward for you, but..."
"Oh! I'm a
vampire! Will this be a problem for your coven?" Realization dawned.
Melissa smiled. "Not you, dear. You're family and you're also a witch. It's Zak. He can't be privy to witch business. To our plans. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you not to repeat any of this."
"No, no, that's perfectly understandable," she assured her aunt, breathing out a sigh of relief. She didn't want Zak, aka the hunter, to know the witches’ plans either. Or that she'd been discussing his own magic with her aunt. This was perfect, the perfect cover. She couldn't risk exposing the hunter, not while Zak’s and Skye's lives hung in the balance, but neither could she blindly allow the hunter insight into the witches’ plans, nor her own plan slowly taking seed. If she could find the spell to strip his powers, he could be defeated. If his powers were stripped, would that bounce him back into his own body? She assumed it would, but she needed time to find the answers first. And she needed the other witches to help her.
15
Azure Falls was beautiful this time of year. The leaves had turned various shades of orange, red and yellow, lining the streets with magnificent color. Zak drove them through the city in the silver Mercedes he'd rented. Georgia had never been in such a luxurious vehicle before and smiled to herself now as she spread her hand across the leather seat beneath her. The car trip had been smooth and uneventful. And quiet. Melissa had been engrossed in her grimoire in the back seat, Zak seemed intent on driving and not conversation, which left Georgia to continue to work on her plan. So far, she had nothing. She blew out a sigh in frustration. What she really needed was her aunt’s grimoire and to bounce some ideas off her, but she couldn't do that with Zak in the vicinity.
"Everything okay?" He glanced at her, eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, sure." Startled out of her daydreaming, she looked at him.
"That was a big sigh."
Georgia shrugged. Zak returned his attention back to driving. Just like in Redmeadows, Azure Falls had a “witches district,” an area where they congregated and lived. In Redmeadows it was along the river; here in Azure Falls, it was just north of the city center. Traffic was heavy and they spent more time sitting at red lights than actually moving, but eventually they reached their destination, an eclectic, hip inner city area containing coffee shops, boutique stores, an old movie theater, apartments, markets—a huge range of everything squished into a few streets.
Georgia rolled down her window, feeling the magic in the air. It was stronger than anything she'd ever felt in Redmeadows, its pull on her strong, calling to her own magic, inviting it out to play. She shifted in her seat, fighting the urge to open the car door and bound into the street.
Her aunt placed a hand on her shoulder. "Close the window."
Closing the window, Georgia turned in her seat to look back at her aunt. "Can you feel that? It's powerful."
Melissa smiled at her. "You'll get used to it."
Zak glanced at them both as he inched forward in the traffic. Their hotel loomed ahead of them, so high it cast a dark shadow across the buildings beneath. The Ebony Ribbon Hotel was beautiful; its sleek art deco lines drew the eye to the top where two towers rose high into the sky. Georgia had seen photos of it before but had never been inside, five-star hotels weren't her thing, but she had to admit she looked forward to seeing what awaited them. Then immediately felt guilty for such thoughts.
Eventually, they pulled into the curved entrance of the hotel. A bellboy appeared to assist with their bags and the doorman held the door for them. Before they could walk in, Melissa stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"I'm staying with Tilda at The Black Cauldron, just over there." Melissa pointed vaguely to the streets behind them.
"Oh. You're not staying with us?"
"We have some preparations to do and I need to be with my...friends. Here's the address." She pulled a worn business card from her pocket and pressed it into Georgia's hand. "It's a shop, studio, and apartment. Tilda lives there and I'll be staying with her. We’ll need you there tomorrow. Understand?" Georgia nodded and Melissa hugged her tight, then turned away. Slinging a backpack over her shoulder and carrying the other, she headed off, calling back to Zak, "You take care of her!"
Georgia looked at Zak, who was watching her aunt’s retreating back.
"She needs to be with her coven," Georgia said by way of explanation.
"I know." Zak was smiling when he turned back. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he led her into the building where the doorman was still standing patiently holding the door for them.
Their room was out of a magazine. Georgia was convinced she could fit her whole farmhouse in the massive apartment Zak had booked. They were on the top floor; the suite offered two master bedrooms, each with a massive bathroom, a large living area with white leather couches, glass coffee tables and a huge television recessed into the wall. Floor-to-ceiling windows opened onto a balcony with a breathtaking view of the city. Everything was elegant and screamed money. Georgia had never felt more out of place in her life.
"Do you like it?" Zak asked, leaning against the doorframe of one of the bedrooms. She turned from where she'd been admiring the view.
"It's beautiful. Luxurious."
He laughed. "And you hate it." Pushing away from the wall, he stalked toward her, his dark eyes swirling. She swallowed, wishing she could back up, but with nowhere to go, she was stuck.
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to. It's written all over your face." He stopped in front of her, raised a hand to brush his knuckles across her cheek. "Like you, I have a role to play. Believe it or not, Zak stays in places like this when he travels. Five-star penthouses. I'm surprised he hasn't treated you to a night here."
"Probably because he knows I'd be highly uncomfortable." She defended Zak's decision not to spoil her with such things. She half meant it. She turned her face away from his caress, heard him sigh.
"Tonight will be a night to remember." His voice was cryptic. What did he mean by that? Was he planning something against the witches? She turned suspicious eyes to him, only to find his lip curled in a smirk. "Knew that would get you. Go take a bath. Relax. Luxuriate. I've got a few things to take care of." She sidled past him, stopping when his arm shot out in front of her. "And don't do anything stupid. No phone calls. Don't leave the suite." His words were hot in her ear and she shivered.
As much as it annoyed her to do what he'd instructed, she did yearn for a nice hot bubble bath. Why not enjoy the amenities while she had them? Their bags hadn't been delivered to the room yet, so she grabbed a fluffy white robe from the bedroom she'd claimed as hers and closed the bathroom door behind her. The bathroom itself was huge, almost the size of her living room. The toilet was tucked away discreetly in the corner, a double-headed shower dominated the middle of the room, and over to the side in its own alcove stood a white bath surrounded by candles. With a wave of her hand and whispered words the candles flared to life.
Flicking the taps on, she adjusted the water, put in the plug, then dumped in a heavy dose of bubble bath sitting on the edge of the tub. The scent of musk and vanilla wafted to her nose and she stripped, eager to sink into the scented water. The water poured from the tap like a waterfall, filling the tub quickly. She eased herself into the steaming bath, sighing as it engulfed her. While her muscles weren't aching, the water was definitely soothing. She lay back, not caring that her hair was getting wet. She roused herself long enough to turn off the taps before the bath flooded, then settled back, eyes closed, head resting on the back of the tub.
"I'm almost tempted to join you."
Squealing, she nearly slipped under the water, thrashing to rebalance herself and crossing her arms over her chest. Thankfully she had enough bubbles to hide beneath.
"What the fuck?" she yelled, angry he'd intruded, even angrier that she hadn't heard him approach.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." His grin told her he wasn't sorry at all.
"What do you want? I thought you went out."<
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"I've booked us a table at the Ebony Ribbon Restaurant for dinner. Dress up."
"In what?" As much as she didn't want to be hanging out with him, she didn't want to look like a frumpy country bumpkin in a fancy restaurant either. She chewed her lower lip, concern etching her face. Since when did she care about clothes, for god's sake?
"I've organized a dress for you, don't worry. And shoes. Humor me, will you? We need to put on a united front that I'm Zak and you're the love of his life. Word has got out that we're in town—we need to be seen."
"What if I don't want to?"
"Then you don't value your sister's life as much as I thought you did." He wasn't joking. The cold shutter that came down over his face gave her the chills.
"Fine. Now get out."
He moved before she realized. Leaning over her in the bath he slid a hand beneath the nape of her neck and lifted her toward him, her upper body leaving the water, bubbles sliding down her breasts and dripping from her nipples. His mouth closed over hers, his tongue sweeping inside before she could protest. Not that she wanted to. At first contact, she melted, her brain conveniently forgetting again that he wasn't Zak. She groaned into his mouth, her tongue meeting his, her heartbeat picking up speed as her stomach tightened and her lady bits tingled.
He pulled back. She opened her dazed eyes to find his gaze on her breasts. She watched him swallow as he slowly lowered her back into the water, the warmth of the water swirling around her sensitive nipples and making them tighten even further. She sucked in a breath and held it. With a wink, he turned and was gone. What the hell?
She stayed in the bath for a long time, until her skin was pruned, playing over the latest kiss with the hunter. Why had he kissed her? To get her to tow the line? To remind her of the role she had to play in all of this if she wanted to keep her sister safe? Stepping out of the rapidly cooling water, she dried herself off with the biggest bath towel she'd ever seen, then wrapped herself in the robe. It covered her from neck to toe and she snuggled into it with delight.
