Father sat at the head of the table. Sitting next to him, I bit my tongue when Antony sat opposite me. Wasn’t he the hired help? Why would he have a seat at the table? Gosh, I was thinking like a spoiled brat, not a grown adult.
“Antony and Derek are part of my team,” Father explained when he saw me scowling.
“Well, I think you need a new team. When my brothers and sisters come…”
“They won’t be coming.”
My gaze shot to my father as a small woman placed a bowl of soup in front of him. I barely noticed her until she touched his shoulder as she went past.
“Why won’t they come?”
Derek laughed, his head shaking. How dare he patronise me? Tempted to kick him under the table, I reminded myself that I was a grown up. There would be no violence towards a man I didn’t know.
Narrowing my gaze on him, I bit my lip. He acted a lot younger than he looked, his maturity questionable. Men were hard work. I knew that because I lived with several of them. The younger they were, the more they acted like idiots. Although, Father’s frown made me feel like a child as I ducked my head. I couldn’t really talk, my attitude had stunk recently.
“I thought we had a special bond, Penny. You saw me as a father much more than the others did. You’re the reason I wanted you kids to have a chance to live your own lives. You should’ve gone to school and mixed with others your own age.”
“What about the—?”
Father silenced me by raising his hand. He flicked his eyes towards the two men sitting opposite me, indicating that I shouldn’t say too much. They might have been part of his team, but how much did they know about the mission?
“You are powerful, dear, remember that. You don’t yet know how powerful. If only your mother had allowed you to experience life, you’d know how to handle what was coming.” He sipped his soup while the rest of us left ours.
I kept my gaze on my father, afraid of what I would see in Antony’s face if I gave in to the temptation to glance at him. A noise coming from their direction forced me to look.
“Stop eating like an animal,” Antony said to his brother, his tone low.
Derek lifted the bowl to his lips, slurping the soup loudly.
“What’s coming?” I asked.
Whatever it was, my stomach already told me that it wasn’t good. I often ignored the physical sensations, but I couldn’t let go of the feeling that now wrapped itself around my body.
“People are going to try and stop you from living your life purpose,” Father said.
“Life purpose.” Derek snorted.
My gaze clashed with Antony’s, and although he had started to smile at Derek’s snort, it dropped as soon as he saw me looking. I didn’t know why I was drawn to him, only that I didn’t want to be.
“What’s your life purpose?”
I wasn’t surprised that Antony was curious.
Swallowing, I glanced at Father. Surely he would rescue me from the awkward question. Nope. Instead, he shrugged and took a drink from his wine glass.
“I don’t know, fully…” I replied truthfully.
I was supposed to unite with my soulmate to bring more love to the planet and reignite the magic that had drained from the earth. That was all I knew about my future relationship. I couldn’t just blurt that out to a stranger. He would think me crazy, especially since humans didn’t believe in witches.
Sighing, I glanced down at the bracelet that rested on my wrist.
The colour of the leather was vibrant blue and the silver caught the light. It had been on my wrist before I could remember, stretching as it grew with me. It represented my bond to a mission I had no idea how to complete. Beyond the initial union, we had to work out the next stage together.
“You can breathe underwater,” Antony stated.
“That is pretty cool.” Derek wiped a hand over his mouth.
Father chuckled, and I bit my lip in an effort not to smile too.
“What’s the point of that?” Antony asked.
I looked at him, running my tongue over my teeth. What was his story? Had he had a cosy life so far? If Father trusted him, there had to be some good qualities to the bodyguard.
“I have no idea.” Leaning back in my seat, I crossed my arms.
“Defensive.” My father nodded towards me.
Smiling, I loosened my posture, pulling my shoulders away from my ears.
“Why are the others not coming?” I asked again, remembering that he had easily diverted my attention.
“Because they’re not ready.”
“Ready for what…?”
“Bed…” Derek said, throwing his arms up into the air and yawning.
He yelped when Antony punched him under the table. “Don’t be so disrespectful,” Antony said to his brother. Turning to me, he smiled apologetically. “He wouldn’t be here if your father hadn’t rescued us from the streets.”
My mouth dropped open, questions about to spurt from my lips. How had Father come to know the brothers?
“Let’s not get into that now,” my father said. “You’ve got to concentrate on being ready.”
I grabbed Father’s hand. “Ready for what…?”
A slow smile spread over his lips. My heart started to drum in my ears. My union was coming. There was a look in his eyes that confirmed it to me. I was going to meet my soul-match soon and everything would be perfect. Well, hopefully. If everything went along with my rose-tinted plan.
I swallowed as I realised that it wouldn’t be long until I was madly in love. I returned his smile as he nodded once.
“There is one thing.” Father squeezed my hand. “The people that are trying to stop you... they also know that it’s coming.”
“You people talk in riddles,” Derek said.
“It’s not any of our business,” Antony replied.
Ignoring them, I focused my attention on Father. “Tell me about the people that will try to stop me.”
Humans didn’t believe in warlocks either. Talking about it in front of the men baffled me. Maybe Father wanted them to know what was going on. Either way, I trusted his judgement.
“They are trying to prevent…” He sighed and glanced at his bodyguards. Did he trust them enough to speak about it in front of them? “…you know who from getting together.”
“Who are you know who?” Antony asked.
Derek had tuned out and was playing with his food. I wasn’t surprised that Antony had paid attention. He seemed to be interested in what we talked about.
“Soul-matches,” I said.
His mouth gaped as he stared at me.
“Why are the warlocks gearing up already?” I turned back to Father.
“It’s best you all know so that Antony and Derek can do their job properly. There are ten witches on the planet right now.” Glancing at the brothers, he raised his eyebrows. Both of them nodded for him to go on. They must have known that we existed, their expressions were far too relaxed. “If those soulmates unite, the warlocks will cease to exist. Their magic will be drowned out by ours. They don’t want witches to have a happily ever after. They like humanity as it is and want to keep the world on a negative plane so their dark magic can thrive.”
“Not that their magic is working now,” I interjected.
“Exactly. They’ve mostly lost their magic, but there’s enough to control humans. When the witch soulmates unite, the dormant Salem witch blood in the humans will be sparked, awakening pure magic. The balance of good will outweigh the bad, and the witch race will grow again, taking away the warlocks power.”
“Mother has told us about them, which is why we’ve kept such a low profile and been sheltered our whole life.”
Father rested his chin on his fist as he leant his elbow on the table.
It was finally becoming clear. The whole good versus evil had been around for thousands of years. It wasn’t a religious thing, it was polarity. There were opposites of everything. Magic had been consumed by greed as the
last of the witches had almost died out.
The men that wanted to stop us had one mission. To make sure the world didn’t become overrun with witches. They wanted abuse and dysfunction. They fed off negative thoughts and emotions. History books would’ve made out that witches were evil, and yet, they were the good that kept pure earth magic going.
“What do I do?”
Father cocked his head and put a hand on his chest. “Listen to your intuition and always follow your heart.”
That was his advice? He had told me to do that when I was growing up. I didn’t really understand what he had meant back then, and quite frankly, I wasn’t much more clued up now.
“Is that all you got?”
“Well, yes. Although, there is one more thing,” he said, taking my other hand and looking into my eyes.
My intuition instantly told me that I wasn’t going to like what was coming next. My heart burned before the words even left his lips.
“My role is changing from father to witch elder. It’s time for me to get down to business.”
Chapter Six
“What’s your mission?” Antony asked as we sat waiting for the train the next morning.
Needing time to think, I had insisted that I make my own way home. Letting the others know I was alive and well was my first job. I also had to tell them that my mission had started and Father was not a threat as mother had implied.
I had often wondered why our parents had been so vague about what it was we were supposed to be doing. Antony’s question had triggered me. Why had they told us that we had to bring back magic by finding our human match and igniting their witch blood without telling us how? Father’s excuse that we needed to find our own way seemed like a cop out to me.
“Like I said, I’m not quite sure,” I replied, looking at the people that waited with us.
It was cold, the morning air misty. I clenched my fists, excited about the future, regardless of my clueless state of mind. Would my soul-match be tall and dark like my brother Alex or blond like Lee?
“You’re fascinating.”
“I’m not so sure,” I said, unable to look away as he leaned closer to me.
“I think there’s much more under that arrogant exterior.”
My mouth dropped open as the train pulled into the station. Antony got up and climbed on as soon as it stopped, leaving me on the bench. At the sound of the doors closing, I jumped up and hopped on, walking straight past the seat he sat in and moving down the carriage.
There was a small table with four seats around it, so I settled there. It was the middle of the day, which meant the train wasn’t full.
“I deserved that,” Antony said, coming to sit opposite me.
I stared out the window, choosing to ignore him.
“Excuse me,” someone said. “I can’t help but notice your bracelet.”
The voice belonged to an average sized man with a wicked smile. I froze when he sat next to me, his face edging nearer. I glanced at Antony and caught the glare he threw at the stranger.
“My sister loves anything to do with nature and it’s her birthday soon,” the man said. “Your bracelet has a little charm on it. She would love something like that. Where did you get it?”
The man was so friendly, I smiled back, despite my unease. Apparently, I attracted all the strange ones.
“I’ve had it since I was young, I don’t remember where my parents got it from,” I replied, offering my arm when he gestured for me to show him.
He took my hand, his fingers a little too gentle. Goose bumps sprung up over my skin. I suddenly had the urge to rip my arm away, but I didn’t want to be rude.
“That’s my girlfriend, mate,” Antony said.
My gaze shot to him as heat flushed over me. His eyes were narrowed on our joined hands. The stranger was stroking my thumb, a little too intimately. I pulled away, supressing the shudder that wanted to rock through me. Being touched by the stranger didn’t feel right.
“Sorry, I didn’t realise you were together… you didn’t look it.” The man winked at me.
Antony leant forward and took my other hand. A different type of goose bumps rose on my arms, and I fought the urge to jump up from my seat.
“I get your point, mate, don’t worry. I was genuinely interested in the bracelet.”
Looking into the man’s eyes, I swallowed as my stomach tensed. Father’s warning came into my head. Did the man know about my mission? Was he a warlock? He stood up suddenly and without saying anymore, sat in one of the other seats.
Antony let go of my hand and came to sit next to me. The electronic voice announced the next stop over the speakers so a couple of people stood, ready to get off. Our stranger friend watched me closely, his gaze narrowing. I felt exposed and squirmed in my seat.
“Are you okay?” Antony whispered in my ear.
I shivered as his breath hit my sensitive skin. My heightened senses were good for some things, although my bodyguard was a little close for comfort. Our gaze met when I glanced at him. He leant into me, his lips near mine. I had been so worried about the stranger, I hadn’t even noticed how close he had come.
Chuckling as I went cross-eyed, he pulled back so I could focus on his face. His nose, which was slightly bigger than normal, almost touched mine.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Just play along,” he whispered back, bringing his hand up to cup my jaw.
His thumb stroked my cheek as his fingers caressed the hair behind my ear.
I became lost in his gaze, unsure of what I should do. This wasn’t how I was going to find my soulmate. What was he playing at?
When his lips brushed mine, my eyes closed. The kiss was so gentle, I barely felt it. His tongue flicked out and traced my lips. I held my breath as a rich sensation flowed through me and something snapped inside. I wanted to reach up and grab his head. I wanted to force him to kiss me properly, instead of teasing with tiny touches of his lips.
The electronic voice announced our stop and we pulled apart. My gaze darted to the stranger, but he was gone. Putting my hand to my chest in an attempt to calm my beating heart, I swallowed hard. Father would berate me for messing around.
Antony smiled in my direction when I glanced at him, his gaze dodging mine. He stood and went to wait by the door. Taking a deep breath, I joined him. He looked straight ahead, ignoring me as the train rolled to a stop at the platform.
“You’ll be okay from here, won’t you?” he asked as I got off the train.
Clapham junction was busy as commuters filled the station. I wasn’t far from home, I was perfectly capable of getting there. “Of course,” I said, smiling.
With a wave, he stayed on the train. If I wasn’t so relieved, I would’ve been confused. Wasn’t he supposed to be keeping an eye on me? Why were the doors to the train now closing with him still inside? After he had kissed me like that.
As the train pulled away, I shook my head. It was a relief to be free of him, especially after the crazy kiss.
Bracing myself, I plunged into the crowd in an attempt to get off the platform quickly. Gulping, I tried to pull air into my lungs. Black spots danced across my eyes. I recognised the feeling of being overwhelmed and forced myself to breathe deeply. The last thing I needed was to faint in front of so many people.
“Are you okay?” someone asked when I groped for the railing to the stairs.
Black mist started to creep in at the corner of my eyes. Moving off to the side, I sat on the ground and leant against the station wall, trying to normalise my senses before they escalated into overdrive and I passed out. I nodded at the person who had asked the question and they left me alone. After a while, the crowd thinned out, and I got to my feet, ready to make my way back to my siblings.
*
“Penny, where the bloody hell have you been?” Clarie shouted as I came through the door.
The others rushed forward, gathering in a group. I held up my hands, cringing when they threw the
ir arms around me. The black mist started again, quickly descending. Luckily, my siblings knew me well.
“Leave off, you lot. She needs space.” Theo wrapped his arm around me and pulled me out of the group hug.
“Sorry about that, you had us worried.” Clarie took my hand as Theo led me to the kitchen table.
Our new flat was Bohemian in style, older than our previous one. There were wooden floors, high ceilings and funky big windows. Five bedrooms lined one side of our home with a separate room on the opposite side of the apartment. They had given me the private room as an incentive to stay.
All seven of them stared at me.
“Where have you been?” Theo asked.
“I’ve been with Father.”
They gasped in unison and started to talk all at once. Alex stepped forward and whistled.
“Firstly, let the girl breathe.”
They each shuffled to a seat and sat around the table. I loved it when Alex took control. He was the one who always knew what to do.
“Go ahead,” he said, joining us.
My throat contracted as I swallowed. Being centre of attention made me nervous. Luckily, it rarely happened. I tried to stay invisible, which was quite easy in a household of eight eighteen-year- olds.
“I was taken to a house outside of London. In Surrey. Father was there. He told me that I was about to start my mission.”
Clarie sat beside me, fiddling with her bracelet. Her gaze shot to me, her hand flinging out to grip mine as she squealed. “That’s so exciting. I can’t believe you’re going to start the mission. Our coven will expand once you’ve met your soulmate.”
Nodding, I pulled away, surprised that she wasn’t jealous. She had always had lots of men around her, even though we rarely went out into the world. She was a brilliant flirt, and I admired how easy she found it.
“I’m going to stay with Father. He doesn’t want to harm us, he wants to protect us. I don’t know why Mother told us that he was a danger. The warlocks are the ones who want to stop the union, they’re the ones that want to hurt us.”
Alex growled. “The warlocks are our enemy, he’s right. I still don’t like the idea of you staying with him. We shouldn’t be separated at a time like this.”
Chasing Magic: The Last Witch Coven Book 1 Page 5
