Authors: Christine M. Butler
Tags: #vampires, #fantasy, #paranormal, #magic, #witches, #vampires blood magic witchcraft
"Hmm," Jaxon looked at her friend and thought about
her shield and how it worked almost effortlessly and at much higher
power during the times they were attacked. "I think I know what's
going on with it." She walked closer to Caislyn and grabbed her
hand. "Think bookstore and let's go." Jaxon closed her eyes and
moments later when she opened them again she was standing in the
bookstore downstairs. "Sweet!"
"Wow," Caislyn looked around at the bookstore, "it
worked that time." She looked at Jaxon and the knowledge dawned on
her. "Together," She said. "We have to work together for the big
things. I wonder how that works."
"Yeah, I was thinking of my shield and how it was so
much easier to do and so much more effective when we were huddled
together during the Fey attack, and I thought maybe it was a boost
in power from being so close."
"Good thinking Jax!" Caislyn turned to go back
upstairs.
"Why don't we just port back up?"
"We need a plan to get your stalker boyfriend out of
trouble and I think we need to conserve our energy for that one,"
Caislyn responded.
***
Discoveries & Disappearances
The girls surprised themselves by actually being able
to port not far from the council meeting.
“Hey, you did it!” Jaxon exclaimed, then staggered a
bit. “uh, I’m not sure I’m ever going to get used to that feeling.
Teleporting sucks.”
Caislyn kept a firm hold on her friend while she
regained her footing. “You okay, Jax? Can you maintain the shield?
We will do it just like we did at the apartment. You concentrate on
the shield and I’ll do the invisibility.” They had learned at the
apartment that if they were physically connected, their powers
doubled and each gained new skills.
Jaxon nodded her confirmation as the girls took each
others hands. Immediately, a barrier of energy surrounded them.
Caislyn looked around, still amazed that they could do such a
thing. Then she concentrated and chanted a quick invisibility spell
she had learned from her father years ago. She was beginning to
understand that much of what he had taught her had been Fey magic.
He had been training her even then to be able to protect herself
when the time came.
Once they were sure the spell was complete, signaled
by the tingle of energy flowing through their connected hands, the
girls moved quietly towards the council members. They listened
momentarily as a vampire who oozed authority stood asking Seth if
he had anything else he wanted to add before the council went to
confer. They assumed at that point that things were not going well
for Seth and they took a couple steps forward to be near him.
“That guy's just a pompous as-“ Jax began when
Caislyn hushed her.
“Shh! Just because they can’t see us, doesn’t mean
they can’t hear us.”
Jaxon’s brow furrowed and she leaned in to whisper,
“This magic thing has far too many variables. I say we grab him and
go. I mean he’s losing. Look at how they are looking at him, and
that one in particular.” She pointed to a fair haired vampire whose
face was unreadable, “He’s burning up with rage. He’s not going to
be able to contain it soon.”
Caislyn looked around at the small, restless group.
“I think you’re right Jax. None of them look very happy with Seth
right now. I think they’ve already made up their minds and he just
doesn’t want to give up.”
Jax nodded in agreement, “Yep. He’s stubborn that
way.”
The girls took one last look around then each reached
out and grabbed one of Seth's arms. Caislyn thought 'take us
somewhere safe.' The girls, who had moments before been unseen by
those in attendance at the Council meeting, became clear the moment
they touched the vampire. Before any of the supernatural leaders
could react, they were gone with him, having vanished just as
quickly as they had appeared.
When they reached their destination, they all
stumbled forward on hard stone floors.
"This looks a little like our old country cottage,
but it's not." Caislyn said as she looked around taking in her
surroundings.
"You don't know where we are?" Jax asked, still on
her hands and knees staring at the stone floor. She was tentative
on moving as her senses were still up-ended from teleporting.
"You should not have done that." Seth barked, looking
completely startled.
"What do you mean we shouldn't have done that? We
just saved your ass and ours! You could be a bit more
appreciative!" Jaxon snapped back as she got back to her feet.
"You didn't save my ass, I had everything under
control. The council was swaying in my favor. If you had just
listened to me, for once, and stayed home, this would have never
happened! You have no idea what you've just done!" Seth spat as he
stood face to face with Jaxon.
"Whoa, both of you, fighting isn't going to help
anyone right now." Caislyn got in between her friend and the pissed
vampire. "Just calm down and then we can talk about what's going
on. First I think we need to figure out where we are," she
continued as she started to walk around the quaint cottage.
"No, you don't understand!" Seth's harsh tone
reverberated off the walls.
Caislyn turned to face him, "Then explain it to us,
calmly." Jaxon crossed her arms in a defensive gesture and went to
stand beside her friend. She was trying to tamp down her anger.
Caislyn had taught her before that she needed to keep her emotions
under control since anything flammable in close proximity could
ignite. Jax didn't want to cause an unintentional fire in some
unknown place just because Seth was being a jerk.
Seth took a deep breath, he had to make them
understand how much trouble they were now in. "The High Council had
information about Jaxon being a part of the prophecy. I had
convinced them she wasn't. Not that they would ever listen to that
underhanded son of a bitch, Pithview, but they were about to
dismiss everything. The council was in my favor, until you appeared
out of nowhere and kidnapped me. You have just become the number
one enemy for the council now! You showed them your power! They are
going to hunt you down and kill you!"
The girls stood speechlessly staring at Seth while
they processed what he had just told them.
Caislyn spoke up first "What do you mean they saw us
appear out of nowhere? How did they see us? When we teleported
there, Jaxon's shield was up and I was keeping us invisible."
"Apparently your shield or whatever you were doing
didn't work as well as you thought. Maybe you should have stayed
home, like I told you to do and practiced it a bit." Seth
chastised.
"My shield works just fine, thank you very much, and
for the record, we didn't kidnap you. We were saving you, though
now I'm thinking we should have just left you there and teleported
here without you." Jaxon retorted.
Seth looked at her wishing he could shake some sense
into her. Jaxon was the most aggravating and confusing individual
he had ever come in contact with. "The council doesn't realize you
didn't kidnap me. To them, you suddenly appeared and took me. Any
doubts they might have had about Jaxon being part of the prophecy
are now gone. And you weren't even on their radar yet,” he said
eying Caislyn. “Now they know about you as well. Why can't she see
that I'm trying to help you both? Trying to protect her?" he said
as he turned to pace around the room.
“Maybe because you are treating her like a wayward
child instead of like the competent adult that she is. Jaxon has
been through a lot in the last few weeks, and considering that, I’d
say she’s handling your overbearing father act quite well.
Personally, I would have staked you by now,” Caislyn answered.
"Hello - once again - standing right here! What is it
with the two of you and your ability to forget that I am in the
room too?" Jaxon complained with her hands on her hips.
Seth and Caislyn both stopped to look at her, neither
one knowing how to respond to their perturbed friend. Fortunately,
Caislyn was saved from answering when she saw a picture on the
shelf just behind Jaxon’s shoulder. She walked over and picked it
up. Jaxon could feel the memories wash over her friend in a mixture
of emotion.
“Its my mother and my grandmother,” Caislyn explained
in a wispy voice. She held the picture close to her chest and
looked around the quaint cottage. “This is my grandmother’s
cottage. I haven’t been here since I was little,” she smiled at the
memories of her childhood.
Jaxon came closer to look at the picture and give
Caislyn a side hug. “So when you teleported us, you didn’t know
where we were going to end up?
“I just said to take us somewhere safe. I can’t think
of anywhere safer than here. Its not even in the same country.”
Caislyn smiled.
“What?” Jaxon and Seth responded simultaneously.
Jaxon ignored Seth, and continued to question Caislyn. “What do you
mean we aren’t in the same country? Where are we? Don’t we need a
passport for that kind of thing? I am so not getting deported!”
Caislyn giggled at Jaxon’s reaction. “We are in
Ireland. But what matters is we are safe here. For the first time
in weeks, we can let our guard down a little.”
Seth stepped up “The council is after you. You aren’t
safe anywhere.”
Jaxon rolled her eyes, “do you always have to put
your negative two cents in, really? I’m just about tired of hearing
you tell us how wrong we are about everything. Can we do anything
right by you?”
“At least I’m being rational about the whole thing!
I’m not off flaunting my power in the face of the very one who
wants me dead! You are both acting like amateurs and it’s going to
get you killed! Someone needs to keep you safe and since I’m the
only one that seems to care if you keep your heads attached, you
might start listening to me!” Seth shouted back.
Caislyn stepped between her companions again stopping
them from further provocation. “Guys, no more fighting. It’s not
helping the situation. Regardless of how long,” she glanced at Seth
to make her point, “we are safe for the time being. Why don’t we
take advantage of that time and get some sleep. We are all
exhausted. First thing tomorrow morning, we can sit down and figure
out our game plan. Seth you can either take the couch or there’s a
small study on the other side of the kitchen that has a pull out in
it. I know its not a water bed or anything but it might be more
comfortable than the couch. Okay?”
Jaxon glared over Caislyn’s head at Seth a moment
longer then allowed herself to be turned around and walked down the
hallway towards the bedrooms. “He’s just so, so… I don’t know what
he is! But its pissing me off!”
Caislyn linked her arm with Jax as they walked down
the hallway. “Sweetie, he’s being over protective because he cares
about you.”
“Whatever! He’s a vampire. He has his own agenda.”
Jaxon huffed and plopped down on the bed in the room they
entered.
Caislyn stood at the doorway. “You are too, Jax. Sort
of. So you can't use that excuse anymore.”
“How about he’s male? Is that a good enough excuse?”
Jaxon snarled as she fell back laying across the bed.
Caislyn smirked “Maybe. But you can’t deny that
there’s something going on between the two of you.”
“Not what I wanted to hear Caislyn! Now get out!”
Jaxon playfully threw a pillow at her friend.
Caislyn laughed as she caught the pillow and tossed
it back. “Okay fine. Bathroom is down two doors and I’m on the
other side of you. If you need anything, just yell.” She shut
the door leaving Jaxon to rest and walked into the room her mother
used to share with her on their visits. Caislyn could feel the
exhaustion tugging at her and knew it wouldn’t be long before she
was sound asleep.
Jaxon lay upon the small bed staring at the ceiling.
She had been tossing and turning for at least an hour. Her mind was
just whirring through information. Caislyn was right, Jax had been
through a lot in just a few weeks. It was amazing that she wasn't
in some padded room somewhere by now! She couldn't remember the
last decent night's sleep she'd had, and instead of enjoying a
night off, Seth wanted to be Mr. Jerkface and ruin the one time
that they might have some peace!
Jaxon leaned up and pounded the pillow trying to make
it more cushy. 'Stupid vampire,' she thought angrily. She dropped
her head back down with a pout. Jaxon turned again in the bed
searching for a comfortable position. Every time she stopped
moving, her mind would drift back to her latest confrontation with
Seth. 'I refuse to waste anymore time thinking about him and his
arrogance. I'll go fix some hot tea and relax. I'm going to get
some good sleep tonight, one way or another!' she decided as she
got up and threw on her clothes.
****
Caislyn dropped off to sleep almost immediately. She
felt secure and at home here, her grandmother and great grandmother
had always made certain everyone felt at home in the cottage. Her
dreams jumped around a bit, unstable, and random with her last
flitting thoughts of the day. She found herself reliving that night
that her parents were taken. She watched as her mom sent first
Melina and then the book flying off into space. The men in
the brown robes were there, the one with the ice eyes was looking
at her direction, but he couldn't see her there. She was only a
dream. A thought occurred to Caislyn then that she needed to follow
the book, but before she could fixate on that thought her dream
jumped.
Caislyn found herself walking around the hidden
bunker at the Summer's End party. She walked right into Gregore.
His solid body seemed to call out to her. There she was looking up
into his eyes, part of her knowing this was just a dream, but
wishing it was so much more. She looked into those eyes and
abandoned all pretenses. She reached toward his face tentatively,
brushed a hand across his cheek, then reached behind his head
running her fingers through his hair as she guided him closer. The
kiss they shared sent little shock waves through her body, almost
as if an electric current were humming through her. The kiss, which
started out a light and feathery thing turned into something more,
a hungry need that built between the two of them.