Freak of Nature (The Lost Witch Trilogy #1) (10 page)

Sarah sighed and wanted so much to give in and just hug Zane and accept that warmth he was trying so hard to give her.

Then why don’t you
? Zane’s voice said in her mind.

Sarah looked at him reproachfu
lly but she answered him back.
Because I’m scared now
.

Zane frowned impatiently and gave up waiting for her and kissed her.
He pushed her up against the brick wall and let his energy envelop the both of them. The heat and the comfort blasted through all of Sarah’s reservations, embarrassment and regret. Her arms went around his neck and she kissed him back with all of the feelings in her heart. Her energy joined his, melding into a power that had Sarah’s hair curling tight and Zane’s hair changing and becoming blonder.

The door opened beside them and had Zane pulling away.
The clerk laughed at their embarrassment as she threw a couple boxes into the recycling bin. “Don’t mind me,” she said with a grin.

Sarah touched her mouth and stared up at Zane.
“Wow.”

Zane looked at her intently and grabbed the back of her neck to pull her in for another kiss but Sarah pulled away.
“I’ve really got to get to work,” she whispered against his mouth.

Zane nodded and held her hand as they walked out of the side street and back towards the now empty school parking lot.

“We should argue more often I’m thinking,” Zane said with a smile.

Sarah shook her head and laughed. “You’re insane. I never want to fight with you ever again. I
hate
it,” she said passionately as she sidestepped some broken glass.

Zane dropped her hand and put his arm around her shoulders.
“All part of a healthy and very normal relationship. It’s how we deal with disagreements that make a relationship stronger or weaker. We know we’ll disagree and fight. But learning how to deal with it and making things right is the important part. Running away from me is not the answer,” Zane said suddenly serious again.

Sarah grimaced, feeling bad again.
“I didn’t exactly grow up with healthy, normal loving role models to copy. You’re going to have to be patient with me Zane.”

Zane reached his jeep and opened the door for her.
“Patience, I have. What about you?”

Sarah hopped up into the jeep and smiled as Zane leaned in the doorway, his hand on her knee.
“I won’t run away next time. I promise. So um, what did Charity say about Lash, when she wasn’t attacking you?” Sarah asked in a voice that sounded just slightly snotty.

Zane grinned and raised his arms to lean in the through the doorway.
“She was with Lash last night. Her parents are out of town on a trip, and she says they made out for a while. She didn’t mention he took any blood and I didn’t sense any weakness in her. Her arms are actually quite strong believe it or not. She didn’t act or look like Jill at all. I don’t get the feeling that Lash gave in Sarah. But he did leave around 2 in the morning. So there’s no reason for Lash to even be in jail. Charity said she told the police that this morning when they questioned her, but they think she’s lying to cover for him. If they have a good forensic team, Lash should be out by this afternoon. He’s got an alibi so they can’t go forward without evidence or a confession.”

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed against the seat, letting her head fall back.
“Thank Goodness for Charity and Lash’s hormones,” she said with feeling.

Zane leaned further into the jeep and kissed Sarah’s exposed neck.
“Speaking of hormones . . .,” he murmured softly.

Sarah pushed him away gently.
“Do you really want to show up to school with white hair tomorrow?” she asked with an arched brow.

Zane moved back slightly and leaned down and looked in the jeep mirror.
He blinked a few times and then grinned delightedly. “I’ve been wanting to change my look. But why is it your hair is already relaxing but it didn’t change color? Why would mine change and not yours?

Sarah smirked and pushed him out the door.
“Maybe I’m just too much for you to handle?”

Zane laughed and shut the door.
He drove her to the book shop but instead of leaving, he walked in with her and talked to his mom in the back room while Sarah helped three customers. After the store emptied, Zane and Gretchen came back out and Gretchen called out for Sarah to join them at the café counter.

“Zane told me a little about Lash last night and he just filled me in. Here, eat this muffin, you look worn out,” she said worriedly.

Sarah accepted the chocolate, chocolate chip muffin gratefully and took a bite. Gretchen stared at Zane for a moment and smiled with a shake of her head.

“Wait, did you get highlights?
Your hair is three shades lighter today,” she said running her hands through her son’s hair. She walked around him staring carefully, looking perplexed.

“Please te
ll me you didn’t skip school to get highlights.”

Zane’s eyes turned silver again as he grinned at Sarah.
“I swear on my life I have not been near a beautician or stylist. No chemicals have come anywhere near me. I just happened to get too close to a lot of energy.”

Gretchen turned and looked at Sarah with raised eyebrows.
“I don’t even want to know,” she said, holding her hands up defensively.

Sarah cleared her throat in embarrassment and focused on her muffin.
“Um, so what should we do about Jill? Charity says no way Lash could have done it. But that means someone else did. A girl I knew and liked was killed last night and her blood was taken. I’m really worried,” she said, trying to turn the conversation back to where it should be.

Gretchen sighed unhappily as she wiped down the counter.
“I just don’t like any of it. I’ve heard of blood lust before of course, but I’ve never come across an actual follower, at least not to my knowledge. I heard from just about every customer who came in today all the details of Jill’s murder. Something doesn’t feel right about this.”

Sarah looked up curiously.
“You get feelings about things?”

Gretchen shrugged and started pacing back and forth behind the counter.
“Oh sure. Most witches do. Dreams and feelings are always right. Sometimes they’re hard to understand, but they’re always right. And I have a strong feeling right now, that something bigger is going on here. Zane? I think we’re going to need to move quicker.”

Zane looked concerned but didn’t say anything and continued eating.
Sarah looked back and forth between mother and son and raised her hand. Gretchen snorted, but paused her pacing.

“What Sarah?”

“What’s going on? Zane disappeared yesterday and now you’re talking in code. I’m getting the feeling that something is definitely going on, something bigger, right here, with you two,” she said looking suspiciously at Zane.

Zane looked back at her and tilted his head to stare.
Really? You’re suspicious of me
? he thought into her mind.

Sarah looked back pensively and sent a thought back.
You’re hiding something from me. I don’t like that.

Zane looked at his mother who was staring at them in surprise.
“Oh my word you were just talking to each other. I could feel the currents but I couldn’t hear anything.
Oh my
,” she said and moved around the counter to sit down, shaking her head in surprise.

Sarah looked back at Zane and raised her eyebrows.
Zane finished his bite and got up from his seat, walking behind his mother and massaging her shoulders for a minute before walking behind the counter to grab a soft drink. He got Sarah’s favorite out without even asking her preference and handed it to her.

“Mom, it turns out that Sarah and I have a connection that allows us to communicate well.
Sometimes we talk, sometimes we don’t.”

Gretchen raised her head and speared her son with a look.
“Don’t be a smart-aleck Zane. I’m just in shock because none of the witches I know personally are able to do that. I never knew you could Zane. I didn’t know you were that strong. I mean I always knew you were strong, but you were never like this before. It’s gotta be Sarah. Your connection to her is making you stronger. From what I’m feeling from you, you’re at least twice as powerful as you were before we moved here. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found out you had even more powers now. This is truly amazing. It’s like witch synergy.”

Zane looked at Sarah speculatively and smiled slowly at her.
“I can’t wait to find out what powers pop out next.”

Sarah blushed and cleared her throat.
“Gretchen, please tell me what you and Zane are up to. I’d like to have all the cards on the table if you don’t mind.”

Gretchen pursed her lips and looked at Zane intently.
Zane nodded his head and his mom sighed. “Zane has certain skills that are very useful. He can manipulate metal and objects like no one I’ve ever seen which comes in handy when we need to get through locked doors or other types of locks.”

Sarah sat up straight and turned to stare at Zane.
“Are you guys thieves?” she asked, sounding shocked.

Zane laughed and bowed his head, his shoulders shaking.
Gretchen even grinned briefly.

“Um, no.
Sorry, I gave you the wrong impression. Zane is doing a little investigating for me. A year before my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she started having dreams about a dark man who was going to bring pain and havoc to our town. She said the darkness would bring ruin and loss. She tried to find out all she could and I think she got close too. She emailed me a week before she was found lost and wandering in the woods. She said that she had found the source of darkness and that she was going to do everything she could to stop it. And that was the last we heard from her. The next week, I got a phone call from Dennis Green, the Police Chief. He’d picked her up after a passerby saw her walking in a circle by the edge of the forest. She was malnourished, dehydrated and very anemic. But worse than that, she couldn’t remember who she was. She didn’t know her name or where she lived or anything. I flew out that same day and after reading through all her notes and emails and seeing what had happened to her, I knew it was time Zane and I moved back. I,
we
. . . both think someone harmed my mom because she got too close to the truth. Zane’s been going through all the information my mom left to try and find this darkness. He can break in to anything and with his skill with computers, he’s the best paranormal investigator I know,” she said proudly with a twinkle in her eye.

Sarah took in a deep breath and stared worriedly at Zane.
“It just sounds so dangerous Gretchen. What if someone catches Zane? What if he gets hurt like Agnes?”

Zane reached over and grabbed her hand, but didn’t say anything.
Sarah felt the warmth and comfort but ignored it as she turned to pin Gretchen with her eyes.

Gretchen nodded her head as she looked at her son.
“You have a valid point. But there are two things in our favor. This darkness, or whoever is going to cause all of this pain, doesn’t know we’re on to him or her. Plus, Zane is more than able to handle himself with anyone. I don’t worry about Zane. I worry more for anyone who would try to hurt him.”

Sarah closed her eyes and groaned.
She stood up in agitation and turned away from Gretchen. “But whoever it was hurt Agnes. And I wasn’t even trying to hurt Zane and I hurt him quite badly today. He’s not invincible.”

Gretchen’s head came up in surprise and she turned and looked at Zane questioningly.
“She was able to hurt you? How?” she demanded.

Zane shrugged and stood up, coming to stand by Sarah’s side, pulling her into a hug.
“She happened to see a girl wrapped around me and over reacted just a little. She sent out a little ball of energy in my direction. It hit me from behind and almost took me down. She didn’t realize how powerful it was, probably because she was angry when she did it. But yeah, if she was seriously trying to do harm, I would have been in the ER for electrocution.”

Gretchen walked around the counter to stand in front of Sarah, looking at her curiously.
“Just a little ball, huh?”

Sarah felt miserable again, feeling all of the guilt and mortification
come crashing back. Zane squeezed her tighter and thought into her mind.
Let it go Sarah. You’re still learning and I’m fine. My mom won’t hold it against you. She’s more impressed than anything.

Sarah looked up into Zane’s face and tried to smile.

“You’re doing it again,” Gretchen said with a shake of her head and a small smile.
“That’s going to get irritating. But to ease your mind, there’s not anyone like you around that could hurt him. At least not that I know of,” she said, sounding unsure all of a sudden.

“Mom, you’re not telling her the other part.
Tell her about the dream
you
keep having,” Zane said, rubbing Sarah’s shoulders.

Gretchen sighed and straightened a magazine.
“Being a witch means you always have dreams. Some are more important than others, but this one won’t leave me alone and I think it has something to do with my mom and this darkness and why we’re here. About once a month for the last year, I’ve dreamed of a lost witch. She’s running as fast as she can through a forest and then all of a sudden, she’s flying. But a dark man comes out of the trees and grabs her and she starts falling and falling. The night turns as bright as day and then she’s lost forever. I can’t find her and I can’t reach her. And then I wake up.”