Captive Witch

by September Stone

  Six hulking figures tower above me, staring down at the four shifters who were attacking my friends moments before.

  “Let’s get out of here,” one of the burly men grunts.

  Five of them streak past me into the dark forest, but the sixth edges closer slowly, a smile curving his mouth. “You stay safe now, little Bryn.”

  I don’t draw breath until he too has disappeared into the shadows. What the hell just happened?

  “Bryn,” Calder wheezes, scuttling across the ground to my side. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

  My stomach is tender and my jaw is sore, but both discomforts slip from my mind when I spot a cut below Calder’s left eye. “Don’t worry about me. You’re bleeding.” I feather my fingertips down the side of his face, an ache forming in the pit of my stomach. “I don’t know how to fix it. I’m sorry.”

  He catches my hand in his. “I’m fine. It’s not that bad. I’ll be good as new in a few hours.”

  Taj crosses to us, holding his side and wincing with each step. I accept his hand and he helps me to my feet. Then he surprises me by offers Calder the same assistance. After only a moment’s hesitation, Calder takes the proffered hand.

  “You both all right?” Taj scans both Calder and me for obvious signs of trauma.

  I touch his injured side gingerly. “I’m fine. What about you? How bad is it?”

  His fingers close around my hand. “It’s a bruise. I’ll be okay.”

  Feet pound the ground and my muscles tense as I brace myself for another attack, but it’s Silas who slides to a stop a yard away from where Taj, Calder, and I stand.

  “What happened? Who are these people?” Silas asks, surveying the fallen bodies.

  “Better question.” Taj winces and rubs his jaw. “Who stopped them?”

  “I’ll tell you who didn’t,” Calder mutters with a pointed glance in Poe’s direction.

  Poe glares for a moment before his gaze settles on Taj. “Did you see your rescuers’ tattoos?”

  Calder snorts, brushing the dust off his clothes. “I was a bit too busy getting my ass handed to me.”

  Taj ignores him. “Yeah. An ankh made of flame. One guy had it on his neck, and I saw it on another guy’s wrist.”

  Silas hisses.

  “Care to share?” I ask.

  When Silas doesn’t respond, Poe answers. “It’s kind of a brand. They work for Lillian Castle.”

  Taj and Calder curse, but their reactions are lost on me. “Who’s that?”

  Poe chuckles, but he doesn’t speak.

  “She’s Mona’s main rival,” Calder says. “Or maybe was. I’m guessing Mona’s business will be in shambles after tonight, even if she did manage to get away. The two of them have been competing for territory for years, but Mona’s always had the upper hand.”

  “Until recently.” Taj jerks his head and leads us away from the fallen forms of the shifters who attacked us. He holds his right side as he walks. “Lillian must have gotten some powerful witches on her side because she’s been taking out some of Mona’s supply chains. There’ve been whispers recently that there would be an all-out turf war. That’s part of the reason we wanted to move to extract you. Didn’t want you in the middle of it.”

  I shake my head. “But that doesn’t make sense. They knew my name. They must know how much I’m worth to Mona. If they work for this Lillian person, why wouldn’t they just let these guys take me out? That way there’s no chance of Mona getting me back.”

  Poe’s eyes narrow. “Or why not take you back to Lillian so she can use you?”

  Silas steps forward, moonlight glinting off his black hair. “Because Lillian doesn’t want you, cupcake. Not all of you, anyway.”

  Calder rounds on him. “And just what the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

  Silas doesn’t back down under Calder’s intense glare. “Lillian isn’t interested in keeping Bryn as a slave. She wants her magic. If her lackeys stood by and let these shifters kill her, Lillian would’ve lost out.”

  Ice prickles down my spine. “How do you know that?”

  Silas meets my eyes. “Because until a few hours ago, I was bound to her. I cursed you on her command. The death mark won’t just kill you. It’ll siphon off your magic so Lillian can absorb it.”

  Poe snorts. “Bullshit.”

  “That’s not possible,” Taj murmurs. “Lillian’s a vampire. She can’t—”

  “But she has,” Silas says. “She’s already siphoned magic from powerful witches with other affinities—fire, water, air. She just needs your earth affinity magic and she’ll master them all.”

  A shiver overtakes my whole body. I have precious few memories of my father. Among my favorites is the day he taught me a blooming spell to speed along a flower’s development. I was maybe four or five at the time, and even then my magic strong. So strong, in fact, that my dad mentioned I may one day be able to tap into a second affinity. He claimed only the strongest witches in the world could master two elements, and if I could manage it, I would be a formidable force.

  For a vampire to control all four affinities turns my blood to ice. For a vampire to control any elements is troubling. That shouldn’t be possible. “We can’t let her do it,” I say. “If that happens, she’ll be unstoppable.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Bryn

  Poe agrees to come with us, but he insists on sitting as far away from Silas as the car’s interior allows, so I’m suck in the middle of the backseat between Calder and the daemon while Poe takes my spot in the passenger’s seat up front.

  “It shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours to get to Twin Rivers,” Poe says once we’re on the road.

  “And then what?” Silas asks.

  I raise an eyebrow. “We go find Elowen? I thought that was the plan.”

  Silas snorts. “I’m sure she’ll be super happy if we come pounding on her door before sunrise.”

  Poe turns in his seat, glaring. “Oh, and I suppose you have a better idea?”

  “Than being too exhausted to fight if we go up against someone who’s coming after Bryn and possibly pissing off the mage for interrupting her beauty sleep before we can ask for her help? Yeah, I do, actually.” Silas smirks, and I press my lips together to keep from smiling when Poe growls in response. Silas pulls out his phone and taps on the screen. I bite my tongue to keep questions from tumbling out of my mouth. My mom used to have a cell phone, but it was nothing like this. Hers flipped open and had number keys on one side and a screen on the other. Silas’ is all screen. He taps on a square in the upper left corner and the whole picture changes to display a blue dot moving steadily along a line. He’s already made a keyboard appear on the screen by the time I realize I was looking at map.

  After a few moments of typing, he grins. “That’ll be perfect. There’s a bed and breakfast not far from here.”

  I peek at the screen at the picture of a quaint-looking house with dark blue siding and white trim and a wooden porch swing. Basic information about the establishment is listed—three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms for guest use, mealtimes, local attractions, and room availability.

  I tap on the screen, fascinated when the information moves so I can more easily read it. “Did you notice? This place doesn’t open for the season for another month.

  Silas grins. “That’s what’s so great about it. We know the rooms are open.”

  Although I’m not sure what use it is for the rooms to be open if the bed and breakfast itself is closed, none of the other guys seem to share my concern. Silas calls out directions for Taj to follow and ten minutes later we’re parked in front of the same blue house from the picture. The windows are dark. Either whoever lives there is asleep, or no one stays here during the off-season.

  Silas unbuckles his seatbelt and is out of the car in a blink. He’s halfway to the porch by the time Taj rolls down the window far enough to stick his head out.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Sil
as turns, his brow knit. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “You can’t just start banging on the door,” Taj hisses. “What if no one’s home?”

  “Even better.” Silas turns and jogs the rest of the way to the house.

  Taj groans, turning to the rest of us. “Well, great.”

  Silas knocks on the door, the sharp staccato raps resounding through the night air.

  Calder leans forward, his shoulder brushing against mine, making my skin tingle. “Should someone go with him? You know, make sure he’s not…” He doesn’t finish the thought, but his left hand clenches over the mark on his palm.

  “Don’t look at me,” Poe grumbles.

  “Fine. I’ll go,” Calder says as the porch light flicks on. “But stay alert in case I need backup.”

  But backup isn’t necessary. Within five minutes, Calder returns to tell us it’s safe to come inside. A woman in her fifties wears a fluffy pink robe, soft brown slippers, and a blank expression. Silas explains that he used his daemonic power of persuasion to convince the proprietor to let us stay tonight as she holds out three keys. Once Calder takes them, the woman shuffles toward the back of the house, turning off lights as she goes.

  “Bryn should have her own room,” Calder says as Silas leads the way upstairs. “Taj and I will stay together, and Poe and Silas can take the other one.”

  Poe snorts. “Right. Like I’m sharing a room with the daemon who cursed us all. I’d rather sleep outside.”

  Silas snatches a key out of Calder’s hand. “Don’t let me stop you, pussy cat.”

  Poe snarls, but he doesn’t respond.

  As Calder hands me a key of my own, a wave of fatigue overwhelms me. Until now, the adrenaline from everything that’s happened tonight has kept my mind alert, even as my body’s grown weary. But now, everything in me crashes. I want nothing more than to climb into a warm bed and never get out.

  “Your room’s at the end of the hall,” Calder says. “The bathroom’s over here.”

  While I’m sure the others are as eager as I am to put this day behind us, I take advantages of Calder’s tacit invitation to use the facilities first.

  When I flip on the bathroom light, I’m too stunned to close the door. I’m accustomed to a stark bathroom with flat white walls and a cramped shower stall. This room, with its sea-green walls, decorative pastel border, and seashell accents, is almost surreal.

  I inspect my reflection. I can’t remember the last time I’ve studied myself in a mirror that’s not warped. My golden hair is a tangled, snarly mess. Although my cheek is tender where the shifter at the bar punched me, I’m pleased to find there’s no bruising.

  I wipe my face with a warm washcloth, as if removing the grime of tonight can erase everything that happened.

  Although my body is exhausted, my mind is on overdrive. Tomorrow, we head to Twin Rivers. While I know it’s necessary if we have any chance of breaking this curse, I can’t help wondering if I’m not walking into the lion’s den. The elders sent Poe after me, but that doesn’t mean he’s the only one who knows who I am and what I look like. And then there’s the question of Elowen. What if we don’t find the mage? What if we do?

  A soft knock draws me from my thoughts. How long have I been in here? I should’ve done my business and gotten out as quickly as possible so the others could have a turn.

  I pull open the door to reveal Calder, who offers a small smile when his eyes latch on mine. “It’s all yours,” I say, trying to keep my tone light.

  He shakes his head. “I already used the one downstairs. I just wanted to check on you. Make sure you’re all right.”

  I can’t disguise a snort. “Yeah, best night ever.”

  He shrugs a shoulder. “I’ve had worse.”

  “Worse than being cursed for death?”

  He wrinkles his nose. “Yeah, that part kind of sucks. But we’re together again, so it can’t be all bad, right?”

  His words coat my soul like a healing balm. I step forward, wrapping my arms around his back. He returns the embrace without hesitation. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  One of his hands tangles in my hair while the other rubs wide circles on my back. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

  As he holds me, my mind begins to still. The horrors of tonight fade away until nothing remains except the feeling of Taj’s muscular chest against mine, his warm breath against my ear, his hand on my back. Everything about him overwhelms my senses. I’ve missed him so much. Having him here now is like a dream, and part of me is terrified I’ll wake up and find myself back in my cell at Mona’s compound.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” Calder pulls back, studying my face.

  It’s not until the pad of his thumb strokes a tear off my cheek that I realize I’m crying. “I just… I…” I swallow, trying to put together the words.

  He nods. “I know. Everything’s overwhelming right now. But it’ll work out. You’ll see. Tomorrow, we’ll head into Twin Rivers, Poe will lead us to Elowen, and we’ll have the curse lifted by sundown.”

  His tone is almost teasing, and I know the overconfident optimism is for my benefit. I’m thankful he’s trying to make me feel better, but the truth whispers everything that could go wrong with his proposed sequence of events. What if Poe deserts us tonight? He already can’t stand to be in the same room with Silas; what if he decides Silas doesn’t deserve to have the curse lifted? What if we run into trouble in Twin Rivers? What if we can’t find Elowen? Or what if we do and her price is too steep?

  The truth is, we have no idea what the future holds. The only thing I’m sure about is this moment.

  I’ve missed Calder. I can’t count the nights I fell asleep dreaming of being with him, of standing this close to him and feeling the heat of his body against mine. He’s even more handsome than I remember—something I wouldn’t have though possible.

  The hand still on my back continues its slow circles, sweeping lower with each pass. When his fingers graze the waistband of my jeans heat floods my center. This isn’t the rush of magic that’s filled me at intervals tonight—it’s something entirely different, but just as strong.

  I lift my hand and feather my fingers across his jaw. His eyelids flutter closed at the touch, and by the time I reach his chin, he dips his head down to meet mine.

  The kiss begins where our one in the woods left off. There’s nothing tentative about the way his mouth crushes against mine, or the way his tongue strokes my lips, urging me to part them. As soon as I do, he plunders my mouth, tasting every nook. His arm around my back pulls me tight against his body, and a slick wetness begins pooling in my underwear.

  My days are numbered. There’s no guarantee Elowen even has the power to help us. And although I’m still willing to go, to risk being caught by the elders in Twin Rivers, I don’t want this mission to distract me from the other things I want. Even if Elowen does break the curse, I don’t want to have to wait until then to start living the life I’ve been deprived of all these years.

  When Calder’s hand explores lower, gliding over the mound of my ass, I pull back.

  His eyes, dark with lust, widen with something like embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I…”

  I shake my head and grab his hand. Before he can ask—before I can talk myself out of it—I pull him down the hall to my room. With my free hand, I liberate the key from my pocket and twist it in the lock. I swing open the door and step over the threshold, but Calder doesn’t follow, tugging at my hand until I turn to face him.

  “You want me to come in?”

  “I thought that was obvious.”

  Still, he hesitates. An internal struggle plays out across his features. I can see in the way his body leans forward that he wants to follow me, but something holds him back. “I… I’ve thought about what it would be like if I ever got to see you again,” he says, his voice husky. “But you just got out of Mona’s compound, and tonight’s been stressful. I don’t want you to do something you don’t really want to
do because your emotions are running high.”

  I bite my lower lip, considering his words. “And if it’s something I do really want?”

  He’s in my room in the next breath, and the door clicks closed as his mouth descends on mine again. His hands slide up and down my sides, setting off shockwaves with every brush. Every nerve ending is attuned to him. I skate my fingers across his broad shoulders before slipping them into the soft hair at the back of his neck. His shudder of pleasure is enough to make my sex clench.

  Every sensation is heightened, more intense than anything ever was when we were back in Mona’s clutches. Our stolen kisses always made my body sing, but this is beyond anything I’ve felt before. The closer he gets, the more I want.

  I’m not sure which of us initiates the movement, but once we start toward the bed, the need in my body grows into a white-hot flame that threatens to melt me from within.

  I lay down in the center of the mattress, everything in me yearning to be back in Calder’s arms. His hungry gaze rakes my body, stoking the flames. He pulls his t-shirt off before lowering himself onto the mattress beside me.

  He holds my gaze as his fingers dance across my stomach. “Tell me if I’m going too far or if I’m moving too fast.”

  My breath catches and I nod. I trust him—I always have.

  When he captures my lips in another kiss, his fingers glide up under the hem of my shirt. I arch my back, desperate to be closer to him. I have a feeling he could be laying on top of me and he still wouldn’t be close enough. When his hand cups my right breast, I moan against his mouth. He kneads the soft flesh in a way that adds to the slickness gathering in my folds. He fiddles with the clasp at the front of my bra for a few moments before unlocking it and freeing the treasure within. When he tweaks my nipple, it sends a sharp bite coursing straight to my apex.

  He shifts on the bed until he’s straddling my hips, his left hand sliding up to join his right. I pull away just long enough to grip the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head.

  Calder’s eyes darken when they fall on my breasts. He palms them both, pinching my nipples, before lowering his head to the taught flesh of the left one.