Freak of Nature (The Lost Witch Trilogy #1) (20 page)

Zane groaned and caressed the dashboard.
“You know I love this jeep, don’t you?”

Sarah laughed and repositioned her seat to a more comfortable angle.
“And to think you insisted on the two of us driving together. This might actually be fun.”

Zane reached over and tickled her, making her scream and giggle.
“Stop Zane! I swear I’ll zap you,” she warned playfully.

Zane winced and sat back.
They talked for the next three hours until Race signaled a stop at the next gas station. They all poured out of the cars for bathroom breaks, snacks and magazines.

Race motioned for everyone to gather around before they jumped back in their cars.
“We’ve got quite a way to go still. I think if they were going to try something, they would have by now. But let’s not get careless. Keep alert and be watchful. Honk your horn if anything strange or out of the ordinary happens. If your car stops working or a tire pops, it could be them. I say we punch up the speed a little too. The sooner we get there, the better.”

“Where in Maine is this town?
How many more hours are we driving?” she asked, looking at the jeep and wishing they could stop for a night in a hotel.

Race looked at the group.
“It’s past Portland and Brunswick. You’ve got about a good five hours left. Let’s go.”

Sarah and Zane hopped back in the jeep and were the first ones out on the road.
Sarah groaned as she clicked her seat belt. “Five more hours?
Ugh
.”

Zane shook his head.
“Not exactly how I pictured spending the evening when I woke up this morning.”

Sarah laughed and grabbed Zane’s hand.
“That’s an understatement.”

Their caravan drove the next five hours peacefully, with no disturbances.
They had a bad moment when Gretchen honked her horn but that had turned out to be a false alarm. Agnes had to take a bathroom break. At 3 in the morning, they followed Race’s car up a long driveway that led to a pitch black home. It was a dark night and no lights were on in the house. It was so dark, Sarah couldn’t even tell what the house looked like. Race ran back to the jeep after getting out of the car.

“I didn’t call my grandmother and warn her we were coming.
This might take a minute. Sit tight.”

Zane sighed and rolled his window up again.
“Get ready to sleep in the jeep,” he said sounding exhausted.

Sarah groaned, already knowing the seats didn’t recline all the way back.
She was so sore and tired she could cry. She watched her father walk up the steps of the porch and pound on the door. A few moments later, the door opened and Race walked in, shutting the door behind him.

Sarah looked at Zane, but he had fallen asleep, his head tilted to the side.
She leaned forward as a couple lights went on in the front room. She turned and looked back at Gretchen’s car, but it was dark and silent. Ten very long minutes later, Race opened the door and ran lightly down the steps. He paused and said something to Lash through the window and then came to her side of the car. She rolled down her window for him.

“She knew we were coming, so everything’s ready.
Let’s go in and get some sleep. We’ll talk about everything tomorrow,” he said and then stood up to go to Gretchen.

“Wait.
If she was ready, what took you so long? You were in there for a while.”

Race looked away and then back at her.
“My grandmother wanted to make some rules clear. We had a discussion and have come to an agreement. We’ll talk it all over tomorrow Sarah. Just know that everything’s okay now. You’ll be safe here,” he promised and then walked away.

Sarah sighed, wishing her father was more forthcoming with information.
“Zane.
Zane!
Wake up. Let’s go in and get some sleep,” she said, shaking his arm.

Zane’s head tilted up and he stared at her groggily.
“We can go in?” he asked.

Sarah nodded and opened her door, rubbing her arms vigorously.
It was freezing here. And all she had was a light hoody. She ran up the stairs and stood in the shadows waiting for everyone else to make their way to the house.

“You’re not what I expected.”

Sarah jumped and whipped her head around. An old woman, dressed in a long nightgown and bathrobe stood staring at her from the doorway. She had shoulder length white hair and light green eyes. Sarah realized she was looking at her great-grandmother.

“
What were you expecting?” she asked curiously.

The woman stepped closer and reached out a finger to touch her arm.
Electrical sparks erupted where her finger touched her and Sarah immediately moved back, frowning at the woman.

“You’re a strong one.
From my dreams, I thought you’d be weak and helpless. You’re not. You’re just as strong as they are. You’ve got a chance to survive after all,” she said sounding surprised.

Sarah frowned and stepped back into Zane’s chest, knowing he’d be there.

“What do you mean she has a chance to survive after all?” Zane demanded putting an arm around her shoulders.

The woman stepped close to Zane and touched his arm too. Sparks didn’t erupt, but she pulled her finger back sharply as if she’d been cut.

“So that’s what I was missing. This changes everything.
Oh I’m so relieved. Come in, come in everyone. You are most welcome to my home. My companion Beatrice will show you to your rooms. Come, come, before the night wants to join us,” she said, shooing them inside imperiously.

Zane leaned down and whispered into her ear.
“Your grandma is interesting.”

Sarah
sighed tiredly and followed the woman inside where the large two story entrance way was dimly lit. A small woman in her fifties with short curly brown hair and wearing a pink sweat suit stood by the staircase smiling.

“Frannie can’t do the stairs anymore so I’ll show you all up.
Come this way, you must be exhausted,” she said kindly and motioned with her arm to follow her.

Gretchen and Agnes walked past her, taking her arms in theirs creating a united front.
They walked up the stairs silently, too tired to say anything. Beatrice gestured to the first room and pointed to Gretchen and Agnes.

“This will be your room.
There are two beds and you’ll have your own bath. Sarah, you’ll be right next door. You have your room all to yourself. It’s small, but you have your own bath too. And if you ask me, you have the best view of the ocean. Men, follow me. You’re just down here,” she said and walked down the hallway, turning on lights as she went.

Zane leaned down and kissed her cheek before walking away.
Good night beautiful,
he whispered in her mind.

She sighed and walked into her new room.
She turned on the lights and looked around. Pale, butter cream walls, way too much lace and a window seat. She smiled faintly and then found her bed, collapsing on it. She’d appreciate the handmade quilt tomorrow. She thought the word
off
and closed her eyes as the lights above turned off. She fell into a deep, fog-filled dream and didn’t stir as a woman walked into her room, uninvited and gently laid another blanket on top of her. As she reached down to touch Sarah’s hair, she jerked her hand back, gasping at the sudden pain along her nerve endings. She hissed in pain and then slowly walked out of the room and down the hallway with a triumphant smile on her wrinkled face.

Sarah woke up feeling refreshed and energized. She sat up in bed and stretched her hands high above her head. She glanced around her room and smiled at the bright cheery room. It was so feminine and completely unlike her, but yet at the same time, it made her happy. She had no idea why. She moved to get out of bed and noticed for the first time some clothes laid out at the foot of her bed. She reached over and pulled brown striped leggings, a dark brown, short corduroy skirt and a light tan silky sweater. She leaned over the bed and saw the knee high, dark brown leather boots. Her eyebrows went up as she wondered who had bought all of this for her and how in the world they knew her size.

She lifted the skirt and sweater and saw that underclothes had been placed there for her as well.
Thoughtful, but kind of weird too. She hopped out of bed and walked into the bathroom, smiling at all the white tile and chrome. The skylight above let in natural light and she didn’t even need to turn on the light to see everything. She turned on the shower and sighed in pure happiness as steam enveloped the room. After her shower she wrapped herself in a long, luxurious white towel and walked over to the vanity. Make-up in all the forms and colors she loved were laid out just waiting for her, along with perfume, combs, brushes and a hair dryer.

It was too good to be true.
She grabbed her favorite brand of leave in hair conditioner and poured some in her hands running it through her wavy damp hair. She decided to let it air dry while she got dressed and put on makeup. Today was a new day. She had a new home, new boyfriend, new father and friends and now new clothes and make up. Life was starting to look up again. After flipping her hair over and shaking her waves out with her fingers, she stood back up and then walked over to the floor to ceiling mirror. No one was there to make fun of her so she gave in to a girly impulse and twirled around. She had never been one to be vain, but as she stared at her reflection in the mirror she had to admit she looked better than she ever had before, as if she’d just stepped out of a teen magazine. She grinned at herself fleetingly and hurried out of her room and down the stairs to find everyone.

She followed the voices to a dining room at the back of the house with large windows facing the ocean.
The gray and stormy seascape was breathtaking, dangerous and beautiful all at the same time. She stared, enraptured at the tumultuous scene, barely noticing when Zane and Lash came to stand beside her.

“You look
amaaaaazing
,” Lash said, drawing the word out in a way that drew her attention to him and had her blushing. She blinked at the blatant appreciation in his voice and punched him lightly in the arm.

“Thanks Lash,” she said easing away from him.

He reached out a hand to stop her though. “You should always wear leather boots,” he whispered with a wink and then turned to sit down with a grin on his face as Zane stared at him warningly.

Sarah laughed, embarrassed by the attention and looked up at Zane.
She blinked in surprise and noticed he had been given a makeover too. Gone were the skater clothes, the plaid button downs over t-shirts and jeans that he always wore and instead he was wearing a form-fitting cream cashmere sweater and jeans. He looked incredible.

“We match,” she said, grinning up into his face.

Zane slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “If I wasn’t already in love with you, I would be now. Who could resist you looking like this?” he asked for her ears only and leaned in for a quick kiss.

Sa
rah opened her eyes in surprise and cleared her throat, embarrassed that they had an audience. Z
ane!
she sent to his mind, in a stern rebuke.

He laughed at her and then pulled her by the hand to the table, laden with plates of bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns and pancakes.
Sarah’s stomach growled faintly and she took a seat by Gretchen.

“This looks incredible,” she said.

Race handed her a plate. “You look pretty today Sarah,” he said, almost shyly.

Sarah blinked in surprise that her father would make such a personal comment.

“Oh, um,
thanks
. Who gave me these clothes do you know? They were just lying on my bed when I woke up,” she asked, looking around the table and noticing that everyone was wearing new clothes and looking good. Gretchen was wearing a long denim skirt, dark brown boots and a white fitted shirt with a black scarf looped loosely around her neck. Agnes was wearing a pale green cashmere sweater, suede tan pants and leather shoes. Her father was wearing dark jeans and a white button down shirt, looking relaxed, stylish and attractive. She glanced at Gretchen and could tell she thought so too. And then there was Lash. He was dressed all in black. Black jeans, black boots, and a black silk t-shirt hanging around his hips. She saw a black leather jacket hanging from the back of his chair and grinned at him. He was loving it.

“You can thank your grandmother. I asked her the same thing this morning and she told me she’s known we were coming for months.
She said she had a lot of fun picking everything out. She’s quite the internet shopper.”

Race sat across from Gretchen and smiled at her.
Lash handed him the platter of bacon and everyone got down to the business of eating.

Agnes was the one who broke the silence. “So what now Race? We can’t just wander around this old house, looking like models out of a
Visit Maine
brochure. What are we going to do?”

Race glanced at Gretchen first before answering.
“Simple. I’m going to get Zane, Sarah and Lash registered down at the high school. You and Gretchen are going to be on the phone most of the day to employees and suppliers to get your book store taken care of. Me? I’m going to be busy opening my up my natural healing clinic in town. From now on, it’s life as usual. At least as close to it as we can make it. I have a house of my own closer to town. I’ll be moving there in a few days after I get cleaners there and get it stocked. Gretchen, you, Sarah and Agnes will be staying here with my grandmother and the boys will move in with me. I don’t think it’s appropriate to have two teenage boys and a pretty teenage girl in the same house,” he said looking at Zane and Lash with narrowed eyes.

Lash looked disappointed, but Zane looked grim.
“I’m not leaving Sarah here unprotected. I don’t care what you say. Where she is,
I am
,” he stated coldly, staring Race down.

“Young man, you just simmer
down. I can protect her just as good if not better than you. You can watch over her when she’s not under this roof,” said a light feminine voice from behind them.

Everyone turned and looked at the petite, thin woman who stood before them.
She was wearing an expensive looking, pale pink leisure suit that Sarah had sworn she’d seen Mariah Carey wearing last week. She looked kind of fierce.

“No offense m
a’am, but I know what I’m up against and I’m not taking any chances with her.”

Sarah reached a foot over to touch Zane’s and he reached out and took her hand under the table.
She felt her anxiety lessen immediately.

“
Young man, you don’t have the slightest clue what you’re up against. I can see that you doubt my talents,” she said wonderingly.

Race stood up and shook his he
ad at his grandmother. “Grandmother,
please
. Now is not the time or place.”

The woman held her hand up and then pointed out the window at the ocean.
A wave rose up out of the choppy sea and hurled itself onto the beach. Everyone stared, with wide, surprised eyes as the water reared up and turned into a pale, water dragon before throwing itself back into the ocean.

Zane stared out the window for a while before turning to look at the small woman.
“
Holy crap
. I cannot believe you just did that.”

The woman smiled at him with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Don’t judge people based on their outward appearance kid. Now that that’s settled. Let me introduce myself to everyone. You lot were too tired last night to care, but my name is Francis Livingston your hostess for the foreseeable future. Now I’ve seen you in my head for months, but it’s so nice to see you in person. I’m glad all the clothes fit. You young man, are going to break hearts. I’m keeping my eye on you,” she said sternly, looking at Lash.

Lash grinned at her and winked before taking another bite of eggs.
Francis laughed and glanced around the room.

“So you’re the pretty lady that has stolen my grandson’s heart.
I can see why. You’re just as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. Perfect. And you Miss Agnes. You and I will be good friends. I’ve seen it. We have a lot in common. And you two,” she said, turning to stare at Sarah and Zane.

Zane and Sarah glanced at each other, smiling but feeling awkward too.

“You’re the crux of the matter aren’t you? Sarah you are safe here for as long as I want you to be. This is my town and Charles knows better than to set foot inside my lines. I don’t know why he’s so focused on you but he’s determined to have you. Too bad, is what I say. He’s going to have to learn to live with disappointment. But until then, I have much to teach you. You haven’t been taught a blessed thing about who you are or what you can do. I blame your father for that. But that’s going to change here and now. And you Zane Miner. You’re a special one you are. I didn’t understand at first but I can see it now. The moment I touched you I knew why you’d come. You’re the fate changer.”

Francis smiled almost gleefully at Zane and then turned to take in the table of people looking at her. “Evil isn’t going to know what’s coming.”

Sarah watched as the seemingly frail woman sat down across from her and started heaping large portions of food on her plate. She studied the woman carefully as conversations picked up around her.

You better eat girl, you’re going to need your strength
,
a voice whispered through her mind.

She gasped and looked at Zane, but he was busy eating his eggs and pouring orange juice.
She turned her head and looked back at her grandmother who was looking right at her. Francis smiled and winked.
You’ve got a lot of surprises in store honey
.