Holding Out For A Hero: SEALs, Soldiers, Spies, Cops, FBI Agents and Rangers (103 page)

“Powers, Elements, Deities three. Maiden, Mother, and Crone, I call to thee. Here in this circle, I call forth the power, Your aid I seek at this midnight hour. I’m answering the call of destiny. Cleansing and preparing, so mote it be.”

A rush of energy surged through her, then whipped around the circle of candles, flaming them to life. She lowered her arms and cupped her hands, shoulder height, and lifted her chin.

“
Great Goddess, grant me the answers I seek. Show me my path, reveal my gift. Allow me now to heal this rift
.”

The candle at the center of the circle, floating about three feet above the ground, flamed to life.

Miki stared into the flame. Scrying had never come easy for her, but in the past, she’d always shied away after a single try. No longer.

Instead of trying to stare into the fire seeking images, she gave herself over to the energy of the fire. She let the heat fill her senses, the golden-red flame’s flickering light hypnotize her.

She floated on an emotionless cloud, simply observing the images that flashed through the flames. Three-fold tasks stood in the way of her claiming her power.

The first she easily recognized in the image of Perry. She’d met that task today, broken the curse. And while she knew there were still bits and pieces to resolve, for the most part she had a good handle on it.

The second image confused her. An icy blonde woman, looking like a winter queen. The night was dark against her back and she seemed to take great pleasure in the pain of others. Of one person in particular.

Gideon. Miki sighed as his image floated through the flame. She wasn’t surprised he was her third task. After all, telling him she was a witch would be a huge step forward in her acceptance of herself and her magic.

The images wavered, then, like a huge explosion, clashed together as the flames shot high over Miki’s head. She gasped, but held tight to the power. Gently, she brought the flame back down, then let the images, the power, fade.

Pleasure and power mingled in her system, filling her with a sense of pure acceptance. She was a witch. Perhaps not as skilled in glamour as her brother, or as gifted in divination as her sister. But her powers were strong.

She was a witch. And damned if she’d ever deny her powers again.

She’d have to tell Gideon. He’d accept her. Unlike Perry, he was a man sure of his own strengths. He wouldn’t find her threatening. And while he might possibly doubt her at first, given the town’s magical history, she figured he’d believe easily enough.

Who knows, maybe he’d been the kind of kid who’d had a major crush on Bewitched’s Samantha?

She was still confused over the winter-queen woman. She wasn’t anyone Miki recognized, although the sense of vindictive nastiness nagged at the back of her mind. That energy she’d felt, but she couldn’t recall where or when.

No matter, it’d come to her. For now, she was on her path. That’s all that mattered.

As Miki lowered her arms, a gentle shower of white rose petals rained down around her. Their heady scent filled her senses. She was one with the power.

She held her hands out, palms flat, and the candles’ flames lowered to a soft flicker.

The cat wound herself around Miki’s ankles, her meow sounding like approval. Miki laughed in delight and spun in a circle.

As she made a full turn, something caught her eye.

She looked over, and her delight turned to dread.

Oops. This was definitely not the way she’d planned to fill Gideon in on her little secret.

“Um, hi,” she said softly.

He gave a silent nod. The dark night hid his expression from her. His body language, though, didn’t look too friendly.

“I didn’t expect to see you tonight. Especially this late.”

“Obviously.”

Miki bit her lip at the amount of ice packed in that one word. It wasn’t the cold that worried her. It was the lack of surprise. Most mortals who’d walked in on an act of magic either gushed, babbled, or passed out. Gideon, though, didn’t seem at all surprised.

“I kinda had some news for you.”

“Really? I had some for you, too. But I don’t think it’s nearly as shocking as yours.”

Except he didn’t seem shocked. She tried to sense his emotions, but it was like running into a steel wall. Nothing but cold, closed energy. Her earlier dread curdled in her belly. Miki wiped her damp palms over her robe, and wished she’d done the ritual skyclad. Maybe the sight of her naked body in the candlelight would have distracted him a little.

A gentle wind danced between them, and her gaze caught the fluttering paper in his hand. She narrowed her eyes. It was one of the flyers she’d seen declaring him for mayor. Miki pressed her lips together to keep her delighted yelp from escaping. After all, it suddenly didn’t feel much like they’d be doing any sort of happy dance together.

“You’ve decided to run,” she said softly. “I’m so glad. You’ll be a wonderful mayor for Rossdale.”

“I’m interim mayor for now. There are procedures to follow, things that need to be settled with Reggie if anyone can track him down. But in the meantime, I’ll pinch hit.”

“That’s great,” she told him in all sincerity. “I know the town will prosper under your guidance.”

He didn’t say anything. Unfortunately, he did step closer, so she could see his expression. Miki’s stomach took a quick nosedive to her toes. Well, for a man who didn’t seem at all surprised to walk in on an act of magic, he sure didn’t look happy. At all.

“When did this...” he trailed off, then waved his hand toward the circle of gutted candles. “Is this something new?”

“New? Um, no. I mean, I’ve had it for years. I just, well, you know...” she trailed off herself and gave an uncomfortable shrug. This really wasn’t the way she’d planned to tell him. Miki sucked in a deep breath and squared her shoulders. If there was one thing she’d learned in her conversation with Perry that morning, it was that the other person had the right to know all the facts.

“I’m a witch,” she blurted out. With a wince, she mentally slapped herself in the forehead. Not the gentlest way to share the news. She pasted a serene look on her face and waited for the onslaught of questions.

When they didn’t come, she shifted, the grass growing chilly beneath her bare feet.

“Gideon?” She took a step forward, so only a foot or so separated them. She could smell his cologne, see the rigid planes of his face. Even his hair seemed to resist movement, although there was a soft breeze fluttering around them. “Don’t you want to say something? Anything?”

He frowned down at her, then shook his head slowly.

“No. No, I don’t want to say anything.” His words, still ice-cold, sounded empty. Emotionless.

She swallowed the trepidation in her throat and reached out to lay her hand on his forearm. At least he didn’t pull away. Miki reveled in the warmth of his skin beneath hers, the now-familiar energy of him rushing into her with a soft caress.

“I thought I was falling in love with you,” he blurted out.

She gasped, pleasure surging. Her smile dimmed when she saw he didn’t look nearly as happy about the news.

“But I was wrong. I didn’t know you, not all of you.”

“This,” she waved her hand to indicate the proof of her magic, “doesn’t change me. I’m the same woman you say you fell in love with. With just a little extra. It doesn’t change me, Gideon. It shouldn’t change us.”

“It changes everything. What you have, what you are? That’s the one thing in the world I’ll never accept.”

With that, he shook her hand off and turned away.

Miki watched through the blur of her tears as he walked off. She tried to swallow, tried to find her voice, but couldn’t.

She swore she felt her heart break. One man refused her for not being all she was. The other turned away because he wouldn’t accept her for her true self.

She drew her power around her like a comforting blanket and swallowed deeply. She’d be damned if she’d let Gideon walk away so easily.

“You’re right,” she told him, finally finding her voice, although he was long gone. “This does change things. I’m not willing to give up. Not until you give us a chance.”

There’s a New Witch in Town: Chapter Fifteen

“Hey, Gideon. Another delivery for ya,” Fred said with a snicker in his voice. Gideon grimaced, then plastered a blank look on his face as he turned to face the owner of the General Store.

“This time it’s the special lunch from Bea’s. Miki ordered it, but Marcia refuses to talk to you, so I’m delivering it.”

“Refuses to talk to me? Why?” Gideon asked, hoping to divert Fred from a replay of the litany of questions he’d peppered Gideon with four times already today.

“She figures you must be a complete jerk if Miki’s trying this hard to get your attention and you haven’t even called to thank her.”

Gideon took the tray of food, the scent of grilled onions on a medium-well hamburger filling the air. A double order of onion rings and a cola joined the burger. In a plastic cup half-filled with water was a pink carnation, a red rose, and greenery. He didn’t need to read the tiny tag attached to each piece to know what they meant. It’d been the same the last three times. Carnation for never forgetting, the rose for love, and the sprig of pine for hope.

Gideon clenched his teeth, fighting to gain control of the urge to take the vase and throw it across the room. Damn it. He’d thought Miki was special, but not that way. He didn’t want her to be a witch. Anything but that.

Too damned bad he didn’t get a choice.

After refusing, six times, to see her the day before, she’d taken to sending gifts and tokens. Pulling in the townspeople to her side. As much as it irked him to see their sly grins and know they were all gleefully sticking their fingers in his private life, it was easier than having to see Miki’s face. Or the pain in her eyes. The same pain he felt, but refused to acknowledge.

His jaw set, Gideon slammed the tray on his makeshift desk. He’d taken over the meeting room of the library as an office. He’d wanted to work from home. To hide away and deal with his anger, hurt, and shame. But after his acceptance as temporary mayor two nights before, the townspeople hadn’t been willing to let him too far out of their sights. After all, their current mayor had already skipped town.

“How would Marcia know what I have or haven’t done?” Gideon couldn’t stop himself from asking. “And since when is she on Miki’s side?”

“So you admit there are sides?”

Dammit, he knew better than throwing these people even the hint of a bone. Like a pack of rabid dogs, they’d be all over it.

“I’m not admitting anything. Look, Fred, I don’t have time for this. I need to solidify the contracts, start preparation for that first tournament. The pre-fishermen will likely be out here the first of the month. That leaves us three weeks to save our asses.”

He’d had to pull a lot of strings and make a lot of promises to get them a date that soon. But with the demise of the Spud Doll Factory, jobs and a source of income were imperative to the town. How sad was it that he was actually grateful for the turmoil? It gave him plenty to concentrate on, to help him ignore his pain over Miki’s shocking news.

“Did Gene get back from inspecting the docks and launch ramps out at the lake yet? He’d promised to do that this morning.”

“Nope, haven’t seen him since he corralled your momma to go out there with him. He’s scared shitless of them cult people, he figured Deloris was the toughest person he could think of to protect him.”

Gideon pulled a face and jotted himself a note to go talk to the people living on the East side of Mage Lake. Maybe they’d be willing to get involved somehow. It was time to heal the rift, bring the town back together.

Of course, they all believed in supporting magic, so it was doubtful they’d be too reasonable. Too bad he hadn’t realized Miki’s true calling. He could have sent her out there, let her lure them in like the Pied Piper.

“Boy, it’s not that we don’t appreciate what you’re doing here, ’cause we do. But you need to put your own affairs in order first, so you can give this the focus it needs.”

It was all Gideon could do to keep from growling at the older man. He sucked in a deep breath, ignored the stabbing ache in his heart at the idea of letting Miki go, and shook his head.

“There’s nothing to put in order. Miki’s stay here is only temporary. It always was. She’ll be on her way soon. And believe me,” he said bitterly, “the last thing we need is her sticking around. I don’t think the town is ready for what she’d stir up.”

“What the town is ready for is accepting that girl. She’s proved herself a standup kind of gal.” Fred jutted his chin at the lunch tray, then the huge vase of flowers, balloon bouquet, and black-haired spud doll holding a sign that said ‘Let’s talk.’ “She wouldn’t go to all this trouble if all she cared about was leaving.”

Fred sighed, then leaned his weight on the old buffet table Gideon had unearthed to use as a desk. Gideon winced as the table creaked at the weight, but it held.

“Boy, we all know how hard it was for you when your wife up and waltzed out of here. But, other than both being females from California, she and Miki have nothing in common. You might think you’re saving yourself a world of hurt pushing the girl away so it won’t be so bad if she leaves. But all you’re doing is denying yourself a chance at happiness.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s a lot more involved. And believe it or not, Miki and Tilda have an amazing number of things in common.”

Like being witches. Damned witches. Most men went through life happily oblivious to the fact that there really were witches in the world. Gideon, though? He seemed destined to seek them out, open up his heart, his life, and his damned town to their machinations.

“All women have things in common, Gideon. Let’s be realistic, there are only so many traits out there. Some might say that my Reba and your momma have a lot in common, if you know what I mean. But you and I both know it’s what they have different that really counts.”