Love Charms (6 page)

Chapter
6

“Derek, I’m a witch – a good
witch,” she hurriedly added. “It’s not like the things you saw in movies or
read in books growing up, it’s not scary. I’m not scary. It’s just that,
well….” She stopped. His jaw was agape. This wasn’t starting well.

“…and I’m her brother,” Benji added. He
was sitting nearby, ready to jump into the conversation.

“Benji, could you please leave the room!”
Raven scolded. The last thing she needed was an opinionated bulldog interfering
in the discussion.

“Brother? What the hell? Witch? Come
on…these things aren’t real, are they?” He was stunned. It was too much to
absorb. This wasn’t really happening, was it? He must have been dreaming again.
Was this some sort of joke? “Is this some weird prank?”

“I wish it was. This is the reason my
sister has been against me dating a mortal,” Raven added.

“A mortal?” He cut in. “Wait a minute.
You said that like you’re…”

“A witch.” She sighed. “The reason Ziara
protested us dating is because of the complications it brings to both of our
families.” She hated how this was going. She wasn’t ready for the talk. This
wouldn’t end well.

“A witch? What exactly does that mean,
besides a talking dog? And why does your dog talk?” He knew the words coming
out of his mouth didn’t make sense, but nothing did at this particular moment.
His stomach lurched. The entire situation was absurd. Derek’s shoulders tensed.

“Benji is my brother.” Raven sat down on
the sofa. She hated this, hated this moment. She knew he’d leave. She’d lose
him. It was too much to ask him to accept her lifestyle. “Benji is a dog
because he cheated on his wife and she put a curse on him. That’s another story
in itself. He’ll return to his witch form, errr, person form, in a few seasons.
Our calendars are a little different than yours.”

Derek stared at Benji. She’d asked him to
leave, but he didn’t budge. She knew it was his protective nature, but this was
a private conversation. Benji shrugged the best he was able. “Yep, dog now, man
later…nice to meet you.” He grinned a doggy grin, but all Derek saw was a bunch
of teeth.

Derek had so many questions, but his
thoughts overwhelmed him. His mouth couldn’t form the words. This couldn’t be
real, none of this. He must be imagining things. Did he eat something bad? Was
it a dream? What was going on? Was this some sort of joke?

“When you asked me to marry you, it
allowed me to reveal my true identity. It’s been a burden not telling you, but
I couldn’t. You have to understand, my hands were tied.” Raven continued, “We
have a lot to talk about. If you’ll give me the opportunity, we can discuss
what this means.” She hesitated. “If you’ll still have me.” She doubted he would
be here at the end of the day. It was asking too much.

“This is insane. I’m not quite sure what
to say. It’s all too much. Can we talk later? I need to absorb what’s
happening.” Was it even real?

“I’m sorry, baby, now that we’re having
the conversation we need to have it all the way through.  If you stay with me
you’ll retain the knowledge, but have to swear to secrecy. If you walk away
from our relationship, you’ll lose all memory you had of our time together.”
Raven hated that it had to be all or nothing, but those were the rules. They
were rules that she couldn’t barter with. Not when the entire witch community
was at stake.

“I don’t know what to say.” He stared at
her, not quite sure who he was looking at. “I don’t know what you want from
me.”

“We’ve got all day. We’ll take it bit by
bit, block by block, and pull it apart. Then you can decide if you want to put
it back together again.”

Derek turned to look at Benji again. It
was all too much. Benji was her brother. Her brother was a talking bulldog. She
was a witch. Derek was certain he was going crazy.

Raven glared at Benji. He didn’t budge.
“Benji, could you leave us alone?”

“I’m going, just trying to lend a
hand…err, a paw.” He hoisted his body from the sofa and lumbered into the
kitchen.

Derek was still in shock watching the
bulldog talk. He shook his head, watching the dog leave the room. “This is
real?”

Raven nodded. “Let’s take it one step at
a time. When we first went on a date, I had no intention of falling in love. I
knew I shouldn’t risk it, but I was drawn to you. The day we met…” she drifted
off. “Anyway, I fell in love the way mortals do. It’s amazing. Witches don’t
generally have those experiences. I’ll explain that later.”

“Can you start at the witch part? I don’t
get it. What does that mean, exactly? How did you become a witch? What does a
witch do?” Listening to the words falling from his mouth, he realized how crazy
they sounded. “And are you going to hurt me?”

“Hurt you? Oh my gosh, no! Derek, I love
you. It’s not what you think.” She exhaled deeply and started again. “Okay, let
me back up. My entire family…we’re all witches. I am a witch because I was born
into a witch family. My mother and father are witches; my sister, my brother…
we’re all witches.” She took another deep breath. “There’s a village, witch
families, though not as many pure bred witch families as there once were, with
witches mixing with mortals these days…” she stopped, realizing how insane this
must sound. “Anyway, the only way for someone to be a witch is to be born to
parents who are both blessed with the gift of magical powers, for example, my
parents. Once a witch has a child with a mortal, those gifts aren’t passed
down. It dilutes our families, and our numbers are dwindling.”

“Okay, so if you had babies with a witch
you’d have witch babies, but if you had babies with someone like me, they
wouldn’t be a witch?”

“Yes, that’s correct. I was born into my
family of witches, and in today’s modern age we have the choice to stay in our
witch villages or move out to the suburbs. I chose to move to the modern world,
living among mortals, because it offers me more opportunities and experiences.
My parents weren’t thrilled, but they’d already gone through it with my sister
and brother, so by the time I was ready, they accepted it.”

Derek stared in fascination, but realized
there was a lot to take in. He didn’t know if he was more scared or curious.
Fear wasn’t really the right word, maybe hesitant. He wanted to know more, his
curiosity was strong. And yet, he was almost afraid of what he’d hear. What did
this mean?

“So, I came to live here and blend into
the neighborhood. I do image consulting, only my clients are other witches. I
help them blend into society.”  She paused. “Are you okay?”

Derek nodded. He was as okay as he could
be after hearing his lover and future wife was a witch.

“I study and use herbs, potions, and work
with universal energies and elements. Umm, I do magic. I don’t harm people, I
don’t do scary things, and most of the time it’s healing, calming, and soothing
things I work with. It takes many years of practice, and while I’m strong in
some areas, I’d like to become better with healing. It’s my own area of
interest. I’m not going into medicine, but respect healers and study on my
own.” She felt like she was rambling.

“Magic? What type of magic?” This was the
stuff storybooks are made of. Nothing made sense.

“I don’t know. I don’t really think about
the little things I do day to day. I may help heal a bird’s broken wing after
it’s flown into a window. They know to seek me out; witches are connected to
nature. I can’t heal people, Old Lady Neller does that. I work with small
animals on the side-- rabbits, turtles, birds. It’s an art really and so
incredible, the little changes you can help them with.” Again with the
rambling. “Okay, I need to get back on course here. I need to discuss our
relationship.”

“You mean the relationship that was based
on a lie?” The bite in his voice hurt. He couldn’t hide it. When it came down
to it, she came into this relationship fully aware. He felt blindsided.

“Ouch. Will you hear me out?” She wasn’t
feeling confident at this point. That last comment hurt.

“Yes, as I apparently don’t have much
choice.” She felt the dagger in his tone, sharp as nails.

Raven grew frustrated, but understood his
position. “I obviously can’t just come out and tell everyone I’m a witch. It’s
dangerous to my family and people. Mortals are very curious, and would push to
discover more, prod, poke, and threaten our very existence. We need to blend
into society, it’s crucial. On the other hand, imagine your reaction…”

“I don’t have to imagine.  I’m living
through it.”

“Derek, the relationship we have is
real.” How could she get that point across to him? This didn’t have to change
things. She loved him, pure and simple.

“How do I know it wasn’t just magic?” He
was guarded.

“It doesn’t work that way. When witches
get together, they have a love caster give them a potion and they drink it.
They’re in love instantly, and then have a family. There’s no “falling in love”
and no sensation of newness… I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

“Really, witches can’t fall in love?” His
tone softened the slightest bit.

“Witches just don’t…we pick a partner for
one reason or another, drink a potion and it’s done. Unfortunately, I want to
feel love, real love like mortals do. I want to fall in love, enjoy the silly
lingering kisses and the warm fog in my mind being in a man’s….your arms. I
wanted to fall in love the way you do.”

“So, this is just about you wanting to
feel something? This isn’t about me, you just wanted the sensation?” Maybe it
was more than he wanted to know. All of this… it was complicated. Love
shouldn’t be complicated.

“You’re misjudging my statements. Yes, I
like the feeling of falling in love, something I can’t experience in a witch
relationship. But I actually did fall in love with you. I couldn’t pull away
from you; I only want to be around you, love you…I tried to stop myself. I
couldn’t. I’m head over heels in love with you, much to my family’s dismay.”

“Your family…damn, my family. Raven, how
am I going to explain all of this to them? That I’m in love with a witch?”

“You can’t! If you stay, you’ll need to
take a vow of secrecy. You’ll have the knowledge, but you’ll never be able to
discuss it with the outside world, only with witches. This is all very real.”

Raven dropped her head to her hands. It
was a lot to ask. And yet, this was just the tiniest drop in the bucket. There
was so much more. She knew it would be a difficult conversation, but it was so much
bigger. She realized they’d be there all day. She could already hear Ziara
saying ‘I told you so’ smugly. 

“We’ve only been dating a couple of
months, and you’re asking me to take some vow of secrecy, whatever that means.”
He was frustrated. Why did it have to be so difficult? Why did he have to
choose a witch to fall in love with? A witch? Seriously, a witch? He still had
trouble wrapping his mind around this. It felt surreal.

“And yet, after a couple of months, you
asked me to marry you,” Raven shot back.

“It was impulsive. I was excited. I love
you and want to be with you. But I wanted to be with the woman I thought I
knew. This…this isn’t what I bargained for. I didn’t know.” Would he have asked
her if he knew? Was this a mistake?

“Yeah, impulsive…you didn’t think it
through. You didn’t have to think about us constantly. I’ve done nothing but
think about what dating you meant every step of the way. My family was right,
this was a mistake.” She couldn’t hide her tears.

“Raven, it’s a lot to take in,” his voice
softened. “It doesn’t mean I don’t love you, I do. Remember, my entire world
just shifted on its axis, and things aren’t what they seem. How am I supposed
to process this stuff in only a few minutes? And then you want me to make a
lifetime decision based on one small conversation that I’m still having trouble
accepting is real?”

“Asking me to marry you wasn’t a lifetime
decision?”

“I didn’t have all the facts,” he said,
his tone harsher than intended.

“Well, you’ll have facts today, not that
it will matter.” She was already expecting the worst. How could she not? It
wasn’t looking good.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I think maybe my family was right.”  She
sighed, exasperated. “It’s too complicated to try to combine our lives. It’s
all too much.”

“What are you saying?” Derek didn’t like
what was happening. As much as the news shocked him, it didn’t change the fact
that he’d fallen in love with Raven.

“I don’t know. I’m as confused as you
are.”

They both sat in silence, neither knowing
what to do.

Chapter
7

“Listen, unfortunately we have to cover
all of these topics today. Before you leave, you’ll need to decide if you
retain the knowledge and relationship or if you let it all go, including
erasing most of your memories. You’ll still have some, but I’ll just be some
girl you dated, and you won’t remember the magic or witch details.” She hated
that part.

Derek shook his head. “This isn’t fair. I
feel blindsided. I love you, but you’re asking a lot of me. I don’t understand
how I’m supposed to make a lifetime decision today. On top of all of this, I
have an appointment later this afternoon.”

“I can’t promise you’ll make your
appointment. You should probably cancel it. We have a long day ahead of us. Why
don’t I make some breakfast? You realize if you leave before you’ve committed
the vow of secrecy, it will all dissolve. You can choose to leave, but once you
walk out the door we’re finished. The only way to keep what we have is by
staying and working through it.” Raven tried to keep her voice steady, but
couldn’t hide the shakiness.

It was asking a lot of him. She knew
that. Things unraveled so quickly…him proposing, Benji talking, all of it.  She
wanted to curl up on the sofa with a blanket and ignore the situation. It
wasn’t that easy. They had to face the day together. There was no other way to
handle this. She didn’t plan to fall in love with him.

“How have witches not been discovered
before?” His curiosity was getting the better of him.

“They were, and it was ugly. We ended up
having to use magic to dissolve memories, but from that point on our villages
had to be shrouded in invisibility. It’s a dimensional illusion really; mortal
eyes don’t notice the villages. The witches know where they are and know how to
transition at the right place. They’re tucked away. They look like a bunch of
trees off an old unused road. Many of us have moved to suburbia, but blending
is crucial.”

“Why didn’t you break it off with me when
you knew it would be complicated?” It would have been easier, and yet the thought
of never having met Raven, the woman he was sure he was destined to be with,
was too much to think of.

“I thought I’d be able to, but I had to
keep seeing you one more time, and then one more time, and soon it was too
late. The moment we made love, I knew I couldn’t walk away.” She lowered her
head. This was her fault. She was the one that knew better. She was the one
that should have walked away.

“That was a pretty amazing day. You’re
incredibly sexy,” he said, his voice tender. As frustrating as the situation
was, it didn’t change that fact that he’d fallen in love with Raven.

“Yeah.” Raven let a small smile escape.

“These magic powers, can they
enhance
sexual pleasures?”

Raven rolled her eyes. “Derek!”

“Okay, listen. Here’s the thing. I’m
completely overwhelmed and afraid I’ll make a bad decision. I’m nervous and
frustrated with the situation, but more than anything, I’m hungry.”

“Let’s go in the kitchen. I’ll make some
pancakes.”

Heading into the kitchen, they found
Benji at the table. “Hey, I’m going to make pancakes. Do you want some doggy
treats?”

“Can I have some pancakes, sis?”

“Not good for your doggy tummy,” she
answered.

“Come on! Just one or two. It’s been so
long since I’ve had pancakes.” He pleaded with his puppy dog eyes.

“Yeah, just one or two, Raven…” Derek
played along with him. Shaking his head, he marveled, “Shit, your brother is a
dog.”

“You should have seen him when he was a
toad,” she started. “It’s a long story for another day.”

“It’s a lot to take in, but I’m going to
give it an honest shot. I can’t promise anything. This isn’t exactly a normal
circumstance.” He was being as truthful as he could be. It was more than he
ever thought he’d have to consider.

“I know.” Raven lowered her head. She was
afraid of losing him.

Ziara walked in carrying a brown bag. Her
stomach clenched seeing Benji and Derek discussing ball players. “I guess he
knows.” She couldn’t hide the ice in her voice. It’s not that Derek was a bad
guy, it’s just that mortals weren’t the answer when it came to her sister.

Raven looked away. “He’s learning the
details today, and will make his decision tonight.”

“He knows the choice he has to make? Why
now?” Her jaw was tight, as she cast daggers with her eyes. Somebody else
knowing meant bad things.

“He asked me to marry him.” A smile
spread across her lips remembering the moment. “And then he saw Benji talking
in his sleep. It’s been an eventful morning.” Raven was emotionally exhausted
and not ready for an inquisition. She already had enough on her mind.

Ziara looked at Derek. “Nothing personal.
It’s just that it’s bad news to get tangled with a mortal.”

Raven jumped in. “What brings you here?
What’s in the bag?” The last thing she needed was for Ziara to stir up trouble.

“I stopped at the farmer’s market and
picked up a few things for you.” She placed the bag on the counter.

“Thanks.” Raven was hoping that her
sister wouldn’t spin into a lecture. 

Ziara sat down at the table, with no
interest in leaving yet. “Don’t you think it’s a little soon to be proposing
marriage?” Her stare left him unsettled. This was no simple question; it came
loaded, and he knew it.

Derek bit his tongue. “It was an
impulsive decision, but not one I regret. I love your sister.”

“I see,” was all she said.

“We’re going to need some privacy. Could
you take Benji home with you today?” Raven wanted control of the conversation.
She knew her sister could come on a little strong and be difficult.

“Yeah, come on. I’ll roll the windows
down for you.” She got up slowly, watching Derek. “I don’t like this, Raven.”

“I’m an adult, Ziara. I get to make my
own choices.” Raven reminded her, not that it seemed to matter. Being the
youngest, everybody was always watching over her.

Ziara grunted and turned to leave the
kitchen. “Let’s go, Benji.”

Raven felt the chill in the air, but knew
Ziara was truly looking out for her best interests. She couldn’t help being
overprotective of her little sister.

“I don’t think she likes me.” Derek had
met her sister once before, for a short moment in time, but it was a heck of a
lot friendlier that this.

“She’s just worried about me. It will be
fine.” Raven hoped they were true words. 

“I’ve got a request. Can we continue this
conversation up in bed? If this is the last day I get to hold you, I want to
know that I held you for as long as I was allowed to.”

Raven cleared the table. “I guess so.” It
felt like rubbing salt in the wound, knowing she might never get to hold him
again. She knew his memories would dissolve if he left, but hers never would.
She’d always remember the truth. He’d chosen to walk away. She wouldn’t blame
him, couldn’t blame him…but she’d still remember.

As they climbed the stairs, Raven
wondered if it would be the last time he was in her bed. She was almost afraid
to cling to him, afraid she wouldn’t let go. She undressed and pulled back the
covers. Snuggled in together, she knew they’d eventually have to finish the
conversation. But pressed against him, her fingers had a hard time staying put.

It started innocently enough. Her finger
grazed across the top of his thigh, between his legs, and then lazily drew up
higher. As her fingers traced and teased Derek’s shaft, his body responded to
attention. He apologized. He knew they were supposed to be talking, but her
hand on his body left his mind lusting for more.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t think.”
It was so natural to touch him.

“Don’t apologize, it feels good. It’s a
welcome distraction. I just don’t know how smart it is with everything we’ve
got in front of us.” No matter how they looked at it, there was a big decision
before them.

“I know. I couldn’t help myself. I love
how your body feels next to mine.” She couldn’t imagine not being able to touch
him, hold him, and be near him. She’d fallen in love with him, and she fell
hard.

“Raven, come here. Climb on top of me,
baby. Just kiss me. I need to see something.” There was no denying it was love,
but was it love he could walk away from? If he walked away, would he regret it
for the rest of his life? “Just kiss me,” he whispered to her.

Raven looked to her partner, not sure
what he was looking for. With curiosity, she climbed over her lover. Straddling
across his thighs, she watched his face. Slowly she leaned forward. Her chest
pressed to his. His body was warm, and they molded together perfectly. Their
lips, their mouths… so close…she closed her eyes and brushed her lips to
Derek’s hungry mouth. Their kiss was magic. There was energy. There were
sparks. There was no way to hide the chemistry between them. His mouth was wet
against hers. There was no way to turn these feelings off. She needed him.
Kissing her lover, she hoped he felt the same.

Derek kissed her back passionately. He
consumed Raven. He wanted all of her. It was there. IT was exactly what he
needed to know. He wanted her for his own…forever.  

Raven pulled back and looked at Derek.
Her heart beat so loudly, she could hear it in her ears. Thump, thump, thump.
“Why did you want me to kiss you?”

Derek admitted his truth. “Raven, I love
you. I can’t shut these feelings down. Even with what’s going on. When I asked
you to marry me, I meant it. It may have been impulsive, yes, but I truly love
you. There’s something special between us. What we have is special. I’d be a
fool to walk away. Let’s do this; it will be an adventure.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Do you really
mean that? There’s still so much for you to learn. Before you can truly give me
an answer though, we need to discuss a few more things. It wouldn’t be right to
go into this without knowing everything you need to.”

“What’s to discuss? I love you and I want
you to be my wife. We’ll figure it out as we go.” Derek was content with that
answer. It was good enough. He would end up with Raven either way, he was
certain. She was
the one
.

“It’s not that easy.” Raven said. “It’s
because you’re horny, isn’t it?” She teased.

“Yes, I’m horny, but I’m also in love.
Will you marry me, my beautiful witch?” He asked again.

It felt odd hearing him say the word
witch. He knew. She told him. He didn’t run scared… well, not yet. “Derek,
there’s a vow of secrecy. There’s more. It’s not just a simple – okay,
let’s
just do it
thing.” She was almost afraid to tell him all the details.
Hearing his words, hearing his proposal, it filled her with joy, but she
couldn’t let him risk regret. She had to tell him everything.

“We can discuss it later. Right now I
want to make love to you.” A big grin spread across his face. “I’m going
forward, if you’ll have me.” He’d already made up his mind. Whatever came their
way they would handle it together. He loved Raven more than he’d ever loved
another woman.

“If I’ll have you,” she squealed. “Are
you nuts? You must be, you just threw caution to the wind and said you’ll marry
a witch. I like that in a guy.”

Straddled across his body, it would be so
easy. He was erect, ready, but should they wait? There was more to talk about.
Later. She needed him. Raven lifted her hips and pushed onto his hardened
shaft. She gasped feeling his manhood penetrating her. This is what she needed.
To feel him inside of her. To be with him. To never let go. Raven pressed down
and shifted her hips. She couldn’t stop the moan from slipping out of her lips.

“Don’t move,” he whispered. “I just want
to be inside you for a minute. You feel so good.” A small groan of pleasure
slipped out.

Raven watched his face. The look between
them was heated and spoke louder than any words could have. 

“Okay,” he finally gave the go-ahead.

With that small approval, she lifted and
rotated her hips, falling back onto his engorged cock. Her body gripped him
like a silk glove. He felt so good inside of her. Raven’s body tingled and she
begged for more.

Slow, steady thrusts turned to faster,
harder ones as their desires were unleashed. Raven’s breasts swayed with each
movement. Derek could barely look away. She was beautiful caught up in the
throes of passion. With each thrust, each moment grew more desperate. They were
inching closer and needed to find release. Making love to Derek was beyond
anything she’d experienced before.

Raven groaned, lost in her passion. Their
bodies slapped together as the heat escalated. With a final moan, Raven bucked
hard, feeling the wave of pleasure rush through her.

With his breathing ragged, Derek’s orgasm
crashed like a tidal wave. With a loud grunt, Derek drifted into the high of his
orgasm.

Raven’s brain was foggy. Reaching across
him, having rolled back onto the bed, she let her fingers trace his chest. “I
love you.”