“And he just happened to find you here? That seems a bit suspicious.”
Looking away from him, I shrugged, my teeth grinding as he voiced my own doubt. Luckily, Alex strode towards us, swinging my lost handbag in his hand.
“Grabbed this last night. Forgot to tell you,” he said, giving it to me when he reached us.
“The man she danced with was just here,” Antony told him before I could say anything.
Alex went still and looked between us. “He just happened to be passing?”
Scowling, I got up from the swing. I was about to walk away when Alex gently took my arm. “No more running. Your safety is on the line now.”
“She’s good at running,” Antony said.
What was his problem? Why was he so grumpy all of a sudden? He must have been embarrassed because I’d overheard him. He didn’t have to worry, I hadn’t pinned all my hopes on him.
“I know. I don’t know anyone as good at running.” Alex laughed.
“I do…”
The female voice cut through the mirth. Alex stiffened beside me, his eyes going wide. Bewildered, I turned to see a tall athletic female standing with her hands on her hips. She had dark brown hair that fell just past her shoulders and a scowl on her face.
“Hello,” I greeted.
The way she glared at Alex could only mean that he had used her at some point and probably let her down.
“Hi,” she replied, looking to where Alex held my arm.
He let go of me and quickly stepped back. Antony covered his mouth with his hand. When our gaze met, we couldn’t help but share a secret amused smile. My brothers had been going a little wild, playing the field. Personally, I found it astonishing how heartless they could be. Their claims that they needed to test the water to find the right fish went totally against my morality. Not only that, they were buying into society’s broken view on sex and partnerships. Not that my lectures had got through their thick skulls.
“What are you doing here?” Alex snapped at the woman.
Gasping, I blinked at him. He might have been a bit of an arse, but he had never spoken to a woman like that before. Well, other than his sisters, anyway. He was usually a charmer. A natural flirt that made the ladies feel special.
“It’s been a while. I was just going for a jog.”
Invisible sparks flew between them.
“Penny, this is my ex-girlfriend, Natalie.”
My eyebrows shot up. As far as I knew, Alex had never had a girlfriend. Yes, he attracted lots of women, but he was not the type to settle.
“You’re Penny? I always found it strange that there’s eight of you, all the same age.” Shaking her head, the girl stared, her gaze dropping when my hands fisted at my side.
Alex stepped forward and led her away.
“Don’t be offended,” Antony said. “It is weird if you don’t know about witches.” Frowning, he chewed his nail. “Saying that, it’s even stranger because of the witch stuff.”
Shoving the business card into my bag, I started to walk back to the house. I was going to say goodbye to my siblings and head back to Father. When he got home from his business trip, he would tell me what to do about the warlocks.
“Where are you going?” Antony followed me.
“Home,” I snapped. “Why don’t you go and make up for lost time with the girl you were with last night?”
I was being a bitch. I couldn’t help it. My ego was bruised by his earlier words, even though I clearly felt the same.
Father would know the answers. He would also put my mind at rest when it came to my siblings claim that Antony was my match.
“It was only a second date,” Antony said. “We already—”
“I don’t want to hear it!” I said, putting my hands over my ears.
Why would he share that much personal information? And why did the revelation make my stomach churn in disappointment?
I hoped he would get the hint and go away.
“I can’t leave you alone. It’s my job to protect you. You’d better make peace with that and get out of that bloody horrible mood you’re in.”
Spinning on the pavement, I faced him. He had a scowl on his face and his cheeks were pink. I was being horrid, and he didn’t deserve it.
When our gaze met, we both froze. I hadn’t known him more than a few days, and yet, we were arguing already.
“I’m sorry,” I breathed.
He stepped back, his eyes becoming hooded. He shook himself and shrugged his shoulders. “Let’s get back to your father’s house.”
Nodding, I followed him as he led us home. I hoped Father knew what to do next, because I really had no idea.
Chapter Eleven
“Your brothers and sisters think that Antony is your match but you think it could be this man?” My father waved the business card that Daniel had given me.
We had just arrived back at my father’s home, seconds before he walked through the door. Without hesitating, I’d asked to talk to him in the library. I didn’t want Antony impressing his version of events on my father before I’d had the chance to ask his advice.
“And you met him at a club last night?”
Inclining my head slowly, I tried to ignore the suspicious frown that crinkled his forehead.
“And he just happened to turn up to the park this morning?”
“Yes,” I almost snapped. “Why is everyone worried about that? You taught us that the universe conspires to bring people together for a reason, remember? Witches attract other beings with magic. It’s destiny.”
His eyebrows reversed, rising into his grey hair. “I need to meet this man.”
“I’ve only just met him,” I replied, knowing full well I wasn’t going to introduce him to them anytime soon.
Not only that, I wasn’t an underage teen, I was a young adult trying to make my way in the world. I wasn’t going to introduce a man before we’d even been on a date.
“That’s the thing,” Father said. “Expectations are dangerous. We expect something to be a certain way or someone to look and act how we want them to. When that doesn’t happen, we’re disappointed. This isn’t a time for analysing, my dear, I know how fond you are of that.”
Folding my arms across my chest, I raised my eyebrows. The smile that split his face was worth it. His business was the leading company in green energy, so he was a passionate man. His passion for the planet and those that lived on it surpassed anyone. Which was why he was the perfect witch guardian for us. He was a man with a big heart and a hard exterior, but I knew how to soften him up.
“I can’t help the way I am. If Antony was my soul-match, I would know. He kissed me once, but…”
“He did?”
Nervous energy made me twiddle my hair. How would he react? I had chatted away, not thinking about what I was saying. Would he sack Antony? Why did I always feel like a nervous girl around him? He insisted that he didn’t want to control us, and yet, I always had to get daddy’s permission. Maybe it was time to change that.
“Don’t worry,” I said, waving a dismissive hand. “I heard him talking to Alex, there’s no threat there. Plus, he was on a date last night, and then-”
“Penny,” my father interrupted.
When I couldn’t avoid his gaze any longer, I bit my lip at the amused expression on his face. He was good at hiding his own feelings, even though he always showed me that he knew what I was going through. He didn’t have to say or do anything. One look would tell me that he understood.
“Yeah, yeah, I overanalyse everything.”
The hem of my dress became the focus of my attention as I fiddled with it. The style was stripy with long sleeves. I wore tights to combat the cold on my legs. It didn’t work, a chill still crept up my spine.
“Can you tell me who it is?” I whispered playfully.
Father sat back in his chair and linked his fingers over his slim stomach. “No.”
He didn’t take any notice when I stuck out my bottom lip
in mock sadness. Ah, my charm no longer worked on daddy dearest. Shame.
Reaching forward, I tried to grab the business card. Just as my fingers were about to close around it, my father snatched it away.
“Did you just confiscate my property?” Narrowing my gaze on him, I raised my eyebrows.
“Read the grimoire again. Pay attention to the chapter on surrender. If you still feel like you want to speak to this Daniel, I’ll give you the number.”
“Father…” I wiggled my fingers, asking for the card.
With a slight nod of the head, he tucked it in his pocket. “You’ve come to me for guidance, I’ve given you some. If the fate of the witches didn’t rest on your shoulders, I’d let you get on with it, but…” He winked at me in an attempt to ease his condescending meaning.
He had my best interest at heart, I knew that, even if it made me feel like a pre-teen adolescent.
Defeated, I left to find my book. Traipsing through the house after I’d grabbed it from my room, I made my way to the garden. It was still too cold to sit outside for long, but I wanted to be outdoors. It was my favourite place.
“You’ll get cold,” Derek said as I turned the outdoor heater on and sat under it.
“I’ll be fine,” I replied, smiling at him as he came and took a seat next to me.
“What have you done to my brother, woman?”
The book was balanced in my hand. I was about to open it when I stopped and looked at him. He was an idiot, there was no denying it. However, he did care about us. I could tell by the way he fidgeted next to me. Something bothered him and he felt comfortable enough to speak to me about it.
“What do you mean?” I tried to stop my hands from trembling by clasping them in my lap. It was because I was cold that my insides started to shiver. That’s what I told myself anyway.
“He’s sulky and irritated. He talks about you all the time. One minute, he’s saying good stuff, then the next, he can be pretty cryptic.”
I laughed. I shouldn’t have, but the way Derek expressed himself was direct and it tickled me. There was no need to think too much about Antony’s views on me, not when my own mind was a little confused in the short time I had known him.
“I’m a complex person. It’s not that easy to get along with me. Antony’s probably annoyed that he has to babysit, that’s all.”
Glancing down at the book, I pursed my lips at the title of the chapter I had been about to read.
Love doesn’t come from magic, but it sure feels like it... eventually.
The leather that lined the book creaked as I closed it. It was a guide to the witch curse, written by the very witch who had cast it. So far, it had been all about how the witch race started to implode a thousand years ago. Warlocks had declared war, determined to steal the pure magic from the witches and turn it dark. Both had slowly died out, unable to procreate. Several hundred years ago, one coven remained. Ours.
The witch who had cast the curse was the third elder, ruling alongside our parents. She decided that she had to ensure that the witch race didn’t die out, so bound each of our souls to earth, cursed to reincarnate until we could each unite with our match and bring back magic. Not long after, the warlocks had killed her and she’d never returned, unlike us.
“Seems more than that,” Derek muttered, bringing me back to the present as he got up and wandered away.
Shrugging at the randomness of our little conversation, I opened the book again and immersed myself in its pages.
It wasn’t until I heard the doorbell ring that I stopped reading. Blinking, I looked at the time. I had been at it for hours. My fingers were frozen and my whole body ached.
Going inside, I stopped in the hallway when I saw a man enter Father’s library.
It couldn’t be him, could it? I sneaked to the closed door and tried to listen. The muffled voices were low, and I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Okay, so it was probably rude of me to try and hear, however, my curiosity was too tempted.
Sitting on the stairs, I was determined to see if my eyes had deceived me.
“What are you doing?” Antony asked, coming out of the kitchen and sitting next to me.
A freshly baked cookie was resting in his palm, the smell wafting up to tease my nose. Oh man, Bev must have been a great baker, the biscuit looked amazing.
“Waiting for Father’s meeting to finish.”
There was no need to elaborate and he didn’t ask.
“I’m sorry for what you heard when I was talking to Alex.”
The dark circles under his eyes made me wonder if his mind had been as restless as mine. Not that we’d had the chance to think about much. In fact, I was ready to go to bed. It had been a long twenty-four hours, and I was so going to collapse. After I had confirmed my suspicions.
“It’s okay, I completely understand,” I said, patting his hand.
He caught my palm and squeezed my fingers. “Do you?”
The temptation to pull away was strong, but it would only make things worse. “Yes. This is weird for me, and I’ve been preparing for it my whole life. Don’t worry, I don’t believe you’re my soul-match.”
No warmth radiated from the small smile he gave me. “So, we can go back to being friends? I promise not to kiss you again.”
The memory of his lips on mine sent heat to my cheeks. My skin tingled where we touched, and he suddenly let go. He must’ve felt the energy between us. Clearing my throat, I opened my mouth, not knowing what to say. A part of me was glad. Another part of me was sad too.
“We were always friends.” I hit him on the leg playfully.
We laughed together, the sound was forced.
The door to Father’s library opened, saving me from the awkward silence. Two male voices grew louder as Daniel and my father stepped out. I had been right, it was him.
“Penny!” he exclaimed when I jumped up from the stairs.
“What are you doing here?” I said at the same time.
Glancing at my father, who now stood behind him, I frowned. Did he bring him there on purpose to scope him out? Not giving me anything, he shook his head once and gestured for Antony to follow him into the library.
“I’m doing some business for…”
“My father…?”
Antony eyed the newcomer as he walked around him.
“Your father…?” He looked bewildered as a chuckle escaped me. “You haven’t texted me yet,” he said, stepping forward.
My neck bent back, his close proximity forcing me to look up at him. A whiff of strong aftershave found its way down my throat. I tried not to let the overpowering smell affect my facial expression.
My senses were easily overwhelmed so I never wore perfume. If one of the others sprayed themselves too much, I would have to go out of the room.
Antony didn’t wear a lot of aftershave. A hint of something tickled my nose when he was close, but it wasn’t overpowering.
Why was I thinking of Antony when Daniel was right in front of me?
“I haven’t got round to it. I was going to text you soon. Isn’t it late to be doing house calls?”
The corner of his lip lifted into his cheek. “Your father is a powerful man, he gets what he wants. I’m pleased though,” he said, lowering his voice. “It means I get to see you again.”
My hand landed on his chest as he snaked an arm around my waist. Er, okay, so that was a little forward considering we were in my Father’s hallway. However, a man had never taken a hold of me like he did. I quite liked it.
My fingers rested right where his heartbeat was. It was steady, unlike my own.
“Well, how about we go out tomorrow night and exchange numbers that way? I didn’t realise you lived so far away from London.” He looked around the hallway.
I stood still in his arms, unsure of what I should do. His gaze searched around, avoiding mine. Why did he hold me, yet, remain uninterested?
“I have a home in London, too,” I replied, gently stepping out of h
is embrace.
There was something off about his energy. I wasn’t sure what made me uncomfortable. Maybe it was the way he studied my father’s home, instead of looking at me. Or was it that he actually wanted to take me on a date?
Why did I have to look for potential all the time? Blasted prophecy and curse had me all paranoid.
“You look pretty.” Smiling, he finally made eye contact with me. “I’m looking forward to taking you out.”
Ducking my gaze, I swallowed as my cheeks heated.
“Well,” he said, stepping towards the door. “I had better go. I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow night?”
Agreeing, I waved him off, leaning on the door as he went. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Yes, I was probably being a little blindsided, but I had to start somewhere, and a man who wanted to take me out was a good start.
Chapter Twelve
“Shall we go to dinner?” Daniel asked, helping me out of his plush car.
“Yes, I suppose,” I said, looking down at my outfit.
“You look great.” His eyes traced me.
I tried to curb the stupid smile that spread over my face. It felt good to be appreciated. My father had appraised my little black dress that flowed from the waist. Antony had scowled, insisting that he accompany us, just in case. Luckily, Father had refused. At least he trusted me enough to make my own choices.
“Thank you,” I replied, admiring his grey suit as he held open the door of the restaurant.
A friendly waitress showed us to the table, welcoming us with a drink. Daniel, the perfect gentleman, helped me into my seat.
Automatically searching the room, I relaxed my tense shoulders when I noted only two other couples eating nearby. Phew, no warlocks as far as I could see.
“I have magical powers.”
My gaze snapped to Daniel, who winked as he twirled a fork between his fingers, making it dance. Blimey, I had almost bolted for the door. My heart skipped several beats as I slowed my breath. There was no need to panic, I wasn’t sitting next to a warlock.
Laughing nervously, I glanced over my shoulder when the door to the restaurant opened. My teeth gritted when Lee walked in with Verity. They didn’t even look in our direction as they were guided to a table in the corner. What did they think they were doing?
Chasing Magic: The Last Witch Coven Book 1 Page 11
