Destiny Divided (3 page)

Only because of the light.

“What are your parents’ names?”

“I told you I don’t know.” The rope tightened across her chest, crushing her
until she could barely breathe. She panicked. A flash of lightning lit up the sky outside. A gust of wind rattled the windows.

James looked from her face to the windows an
d back again. Why did he look surprised? Didn’t all sorcerers affect the weather?

“It’s
really quite simple, Sage,” he said in clipped tones. “Answer the questions and we won’t have a problem.”

“I already told you I don’t know wh
o my parents are! I’m not lying. My mother left me at the hospital to be adopted right when I was born. I had a name and that was it.” She dropped her head, feeling helpless and broken. She would have cried if she hadn’t banned it years ago. This was the most vulnerable she had felt in a long time. God, she hated it.

He blinked and stepped back. “I’m sorry.” Regret tinted his voice.
“I can see now that you’re not lying.”

She sent him a glare that told him exactly where he could shove his apology.

“If I let you loose, do you promise not to run away?”

She nodded, not that she had a choice
. This man, who she now guessed was a sorcerer, was clearly more powerful than she.

“
All right. I’m going to remove the rope. Do not move from that chair. If you try to run, I
will
catch you. Do you understand?”

It really couldn’t get any mo
re humiliating. “Yes.” The light rope faded away and she stretched out her arms.

If it had been a normal person guarding
her, she’d have either run or fought. But since the arrogant spawn of Satan stood by her instead, she sucked up her pride and, for the first time in a long time, she allowed someone to tell her what to do.

“I’m not a child.” For some reason she needed to make that clear.

His gaze landed on her breasts. Usually she liked the attention her low cut shirts and well-endowed chest got her, but now she felt naked under his heated gaze.

“
I can see that. Here’s the thing, Sage. There are rules for our kind. You can’t go around using magic anytime you please. That’s not how it works and it’s going to get you in a lot of trouble. You’re lucky it hasn’t caught up with you so far.”

“
I’ve never known anyone else like me. How am I supposed to know all the rules for your magical wizard world? I can barely follow
people
rules in my own world.”

“I know. And that’s
why I’ve decided to train you.”

She waited for him to crack and smile and admit he was joking. When didn’t, she arched a brow at him. “Excuse me?”
What makes you think I want to be trained? And by you, no less.”

“I don’t really see how you have a choice.”

“Uh, yes, I do. It’s called ‘no’. No, I will not be
trained
by you. I’m not a dog.”

“How will you know what the rules are
for our kind?”

“I don’t know. Don’t you have a book or something?”

“What happens when your powers get out of your control? You need someone watching your back.”

She snorted.
“Yes, that’s just what I want.
You
watching my back. Did you forget the part where you almost suffocated me with a magical rope?”

He took a deep breath. “What if I told you that I
could make you more powerful?”

This pi
qued her interest. Momentarily.

“You could be ten times stronger, Sage.
With some guidance and practice –”

“No thanks,” she snapped. “I’ll figure it out on my own.”

He didn’t seem shocked by her refusal, which made her uneasy. She shifted in the chair.

“When’s the last time you ate?”
he asked.

“Lunch.”

“And before that?”

She couldn’t remember but that was none of his business.

“Stay here with me, Sage. I’ll give you a warm place to sleep and regular meals. All you have to do is allow me to teach you how to use your powers responsibly.”

She’d grown up with the old adage, if something sounded too good to be true, it usually was.
“What’s your angle? If you think I’ll sleep with you, you can forget it. I’d rather starve.”

“No angle. Just a sense of obligation. You’re dangerous and need to be cont
rolled before you hurt somebody. I don’t want that on my conscience.”

“
Controlled? Who the hell do you think –”

“Don’t be stubborn,” h
e snapped. “You look like you’re half-starved.”

She grima
ced and peered down at her body. Average height with curves in all the right places – she wasn’t ashamed of using her body to get what she wanted. But lately, the curves had been shrinking.

“Don’t let your pride get in the way of taking something good that’s offered.
There’s no better opportunity for you than this. And I promise, when I’m done with you, you’ll never have to mop floors again.”

She gave him a wary glance.
“I don’t trust you.”

“Nor I you. But what do you have to l
ose?”

Dignity? That didn’t seem so important anymore. Not after living on the streets. She hadn’t known James for more than five minutes and already he drove her batty. But h
e appeared to be ready to feed her and teach her. If she learned more about her abilities – how to harness them and control them – maybe she could finally have a normal life.

“All right,” she conceded. “But just so you know, I sleep with one eye open.”

“What makes you think you’re my type?”

She glared. “Asshole.”

His icy eyes melted to warmth as he held out a hand. “I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I want you to know you can trust me.”

She had to stop herself fr
om laughing. Trust? In one day? That was not something she could afford. Especially not with a demanding male who was clearly used to being in control. Well, she had control issues too. And when it came to a battle of wills, she always won.

She bypassed his outstretched and grabbed her bag off the floor. “Goodnight
, James.”

In the bedroom, she shut the door and exhaled a deep breath. What the fuck had she gotten herself into?

Something slid under the door. A wad of cash. She picked it up and counted it. He hadn’t taken a single dollar to pay for the broken chair.

“All right, Sage. Show me what you’ve got.” James stood on one side of the back yard with Sage facing him on the other side.

It was the afternoon following their showdown in the living room.
Her hands hung at her sides as she watched him. He looked like a force, strong and fierce. His muscular chest heaved. She could almost spot six distinct rows of abs under his tight-fitting shirt. Or maybe it was her imagination.

They were supposed to be
dueling. He’d told her to “give him everything she’s got,” but she didn’t know what she had. Things just sort of…happened, mostly when she was scared or angry. It was frustrating beyond words for a girl who craved control.

“Just
try
something,” he said. When she stared dumbly, he relaxed his stance and gave her a wicked smile. “Don’t make me provoke you.”

She pursed her lips and flexed her fingers. When she spotted
a tree branch hanging low above his head, she asked, “Are you sure?”

He nodded. “I need a baseline for what you can do.”

“You asked for it,” she mumbled.

As she
stared at the branch above him, she willed it to fall. In the past she’d been able to make things happen just by wishing them to, but it only happened out of desperation. Fear was usually the catalyst. Since she was neither afraid nor desperate, it was no surprise the branch didn’t move.

She tried harder. Still nothing. She squinted her eyes the
n waved her hands towards it. Nothing. Stopping herself just short of yelling “abracadabra,” she sighed in defeat.

“Did you
just mouth ‘abracadabra?’” he mocked. “Oh, you’re much worse off than I thought.”

Hot fury soar
ed through her as she glared at her most recent nemesis. She hissed in a sharp breath. The flash of movement behind James surprised her. In a blur he was flipped up into the air, suspended in place by a tree branch wrapped around his ankle.

She
stalked towards him, wearing her cheekiest grin.

He did a sit up and with one swipe of something she
couldn’t see, he cut the branch and landed lithely on his feet.

“It
seems you’re full of surprises…
witch
.”

“Huh?”

“Sorcerers can’t manipulate elements of nature. That’s a witch trait.” He paused and she stammered for something to say. “I bet you made that gust of wind last night too. I was wondering about that.”

“You’re saying I’m a w
itch? Like a…wart-toting, cackling, broom-riding witch?”

He c
huckled. “On the contrary, the witches I’ve seen rival supermodels. They derive their power from Mother Earth.” Mostly to himself, he added, “They are a bit dodgy though.”

Sage stared through him, lost in a whirlwind of confusion.
“So they were right all along. About me being a witch.” Only yesterday she’d found out she was a sorceress, which was overwhelming, but exhilarating. Now she was also a witch. What else could she be? Would she turn into a mermaid any day? A werewolf?

“
Half sorceress, half witch. An interesting combination. Certainly quite a puzzle.” He sounded like he was assessing the breeding of a dog. “That explains your name.”

That shook her from her bewildered stupor. “My name?” Since moving from
Albany, she’d ditched her first name and used her middle name instead.

“It’s very…” His lips twitched. “Witchy.”

“I…I…don’t even know what to say.”

James put his hand on the small of her back
and gently guided her towards the house. Her mind was stuck in a thick haze so she allowed the physical contact, for now.

“Right. N
ow we have a starting point.” He gave her a little push through the door. “But we need to build the foundation.”

Starting point? Foundation? He was still talking about training.
“Hold up. I’m trying to process the whole witch thing. You gotta give me some time here.” She batted his hand away when he tried to pull her to sit at the breakfast bar. She paced the length of the kitchen instead. “Maybe I should do a Google search.”

“You won’t find anything helpful on Google.”
James started a pot of coffee. “But lucky for you, I know everything about sorcerers and much about witches.”

“And so modest too.”

“For instance, a sorcerer’s power comes from –” He appeared in her pacing path so suddenly, she nearly plowed into him. “Will you stop pacing? It’s making me dizzy.”

His chest was
inches from her face. The scent of his aftershave overwhelmed her. Damn, the dry spell she was going through was really getting to her.

She lifted her head to meet his gaze. His lips were thin but that didn’t make her want to taste them any less. Her tongue darted out, wetting her own lips. His gaze was riveted to her mouth. He wasn’t breathing. Neither was she.

Snap out of it! You don’t even like him!

A d
ry spell. It was a perfectly logical explanation for why, when he leaned in and lowered his head, she just stood there, waiting. His lips hovered over hers, his breath tickling her mouth.

S
omething beeped.

“Coffee’s done,” she said in a husky voice.

He gave his head a little shake. “Uhh…right. How do you like your coffee?”

“Black with enough sugar to drown the coffee taste.”

His brows furrowed at her odd request but he nodded and poured at least eight packets worth of sugar into a mug.

She watched him make his own coffee. He drank it black too, except for the little splash of something in a flask he pulled out of the cabinet.
Alcohol problem?

“
Come. Sit down.” He handed her the mug of coffee.

S
he sat on an overstuffed chair opposite James on the couch.

“
Sorcery centers around electricity,” he began. “That’s why the lights flicker when you’re angry. A Bolt is also the use of electricity, only the current comes from the air and your body is the conductor.”

“That makes sense. I can feel the electricity
moving around me like static. It was weird, at first. Now it just feels...powerful.” She smiled, recalling the feeling of omnipotence when she was brave enough to let the light take over.

“Electricity is our main source of power. It has nothing to do with relig
ion, eh? Witches, on the other hand, get their power from Gaia. She’s –”

“Mo
ther Earth. I remember from one of your classes.”

“At least so
meone was listening. Gaia, or Mother Earth, is their god. She supplies them with the ability to manipulate nature’s elements. Water. Plants. Weather. Both sorcerers and witches can make potions and cast spells, but different kinds. Sometimes they trade with each other if they need something specific, but overall, neither culture is fond of the other.”

“I understan
d their feeling.” She gave him a pointed glare.

He chuckled
. “Maybe that’s why you’re so indignant. The two sides of yourself are battling each other.”

She
thought about it for a moment. “I don’t feel an internal battle. And I’m not indignant.”

His
brows shot up.

“Okay, maybe I am, just a little. But it’s not because of
what
I am. If anything, it’s because of how I’m treated.” She gave him another meaningful glare.

“I’m trying, Sage. But you don’t make it easy.”

Difficult. Uncooperative. Those were just a couple of words that had been used to describe her by social workers and foster parents. She’d have thought labels would’ve worn off by now. But no. Some things haunted you forever.

“So, what now?” sh
e asked. “What can you teach me about harnessing my witch powers?”

“It’s much of the same. Learning to use your powers objectively. You’re full of passion, which can be a good thing.
If
it’s tempered with self-control. I can integrate some witchcraft into your sorcery lessons as well. If you want.”

“I think you ow
e me that. Since you basically blackmailed me.”

He rolled his eyes. “Has anyone ever told you, you are just a tad dramatic?”

She lifted her chin. “And you reek of arrogance.”

“As do you,
lleidr bach.”
At her puzzled glare he explained, “Welsh for ‘little thief.’”

“Touché,
culo
. Italian for ‘ass.’ Just a little something I picked up in one of the foster homes in New York.”

He
chuckled. “So you grew up in foster care?”

“Oh
hhh no. I am
not
talking about that with you.”

With a shrug and a smirk, he said,
“That’s alright. I’ll find out everything about you eventually. But let’s get on with things, shall we?” He rose from the couch. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

When he came down the stairs sever
al minutes later with an armful of books he dropped on the breakfast bar with a thud, curiosity got the better of her and she moved to get a closer look.

“These are the basics,” he told her, sorting through them. He placed
some into a separate pile and pushed a few towards her.

Her initial excitement turned to dread
when the Chemistry textbook glared at her from the counter. She’d flunked it in high school after she’d almost blown up the Science lab. Dangerous chemicals and Sage didn’t mix, especially with her hair trigger temper and penchant for creating lightning balls, purposeful or not.

The biggest book was at the bottom of the pil
e and that was the one he thrust in front of her. She loved books, but the mere size of this particular one was daunting, even to an avid reader like herself. Besides, the books that filled her bookshelf – or backpack – were fiction.

James tapped the
cover, waiting for a response.

She looked at the book t
hen at James. “Okay. Now where’s the cliff notes?”

“No cliff notes. You’re going t
o read this cover to cover.”

She snorted. “Yeah, and you’re going to do the Macarena naked at a Sorority party.”

He leaned across the counter with an amused sparkle in his eyes. “I think it’s funny you still think you have a say in anything anymore.”

Her grin faded
as the words sank in. Before she could give a witty retort, he explained, “Every sorcerer reads this book by the end of his training. It’s an essential part of who we are. In here you’ll find our history, spells, enchantments, tips for controlling our powers. Basically everything we need to know about sorcery.”

“So, like a
Sorcery for Dummies
?”

“I guess you could say that.”

She fingered the book. She’d expected something a little more impressive – antique, maybe leather bound with strange engravings and stained pages. But this was a typical school textbook. The cover had a symbol on it she didn’t recognize. It was a red dragon with what looked like the shape of an old wizard hat behind it and a comet in an arch above. Other than that, the book was rather ordinary.

She frowned
. “It’s not very impressive. I would have thought it’d be much…cooler.”

“Yes, well, that’s because Americ
a’s entire perception of life is based on T.V. and movies.”

“And YouTube. Don’t forget about YouTube.”

“It’s time we opened up a whole new world for you, Sage Peterson.”

“I like my world just fine.”

“Do you?”

Do I?
She stared at him until she couldn’t bear it anymore. His eyes were too deep, like he was having an intimate look inside her brain. She shook off the feeling and squared her shoulders. “You judge me, yet you have no idea what I’ve been through.”

“What you’ve been through has nothing to do with where you’re going.
”

She snorted. How ideal
istic. As if it were easy to start over after a lifetime of pain and rejection. To start a new life in a new state with nothing to your name – not even with your real name. Not a penny. Not a friend. Nothing but your own will to survive and determination
not
to end up like everyone said you would. She felt the familiar rage build inside her, not at James directly, but he happened to be there, provoking her. Why was she letting him get in her head like this?

“If you’re too busy looking behind you,
anwylyd
, you’ll never see what’s ahead.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?” she snapped, glad for somewhere to place her anger. “What does it mean?”

He smiled softly. “Darling.”

How did he manage to make
her feel so vulnerable with just a word and a look? “What are you? My life coach?” She made a determined effort not to make the lights flicker – if only to show him she was more capable than he thought. “Anything else, Dr. Phil? Or can I go?”