Magestorm: The Awakening (18 page)

41

Training ran late, and
Dhane
didn’t have a chance to go home and change before the council meeting.  Most days they only did magic training.  Cassandra wanted to change things
up, so now physical activity was included.  It made sense, really.  In the heat of battle, hearts would be racing, as would the mind. 
Working out while doing magic would simulate that for the most part.

Now, sweaty and smelly
, he would be in a room full of women and hoped he wouldn’t
stink
them out.  At least nobody would sit near him, expect possibly Lila.  If she could deal with his nudity, she could surely handle his body odor.

Cassandra went to her
quarters
for a quick shower and
Dhane
sat by
himself
at the council table.
  He was silent as one by one the witches arrived and took seats around the table.  Most sat in their usual places, though Lila sat next to him instead.

“You stink.”

He grinned.

“I know.
 
How about a nice hug?”

“Stay away from me.”

She giggled quietly as a few others glanced over. 
The room got quiet again and they waited for Cassandra in silence. 
Dhane
glanced around at the remaining witches and wondered where things go from here.

The main doors opened and a woman with short blond hair walked in.  Samantha hurried to a seat near the door and waved to Lila. 
Dhane
looked over and made eye contact with the blond woman.  He immediately recognized her from the grocery the day before.

She cocked a half-grin and looked away as Cassandra entered the room. 
He stared at her for a few minutes, and then wondered why she waved at Lila.
  Cassandra cleared her throat to get his attention.

“
Dhane
, have you met Samantha?”

“We’ve met, sort of,” Samantha interjected.

“She just transferred in, sort of.
”

He nodded to Cassandra,
then
gave a nod to Samantha.  Now he wondered if she would shun him like the others, knowing who he was.
  Why did she have to be a witch?

“
First
order of business, Samantha had an issue to discuss.
  Go ahead with your proposal, Samantha.”

“Thank you.  In some communities, the witch council stayed under one roof, for protection.  With everything that’s happened here, I wonder if we shouldn’t do the same.”

Discussions erupted all over the room, some agreements,
some
disagreements.  While some liked the safety, as well as bringing them all together into a closer community,
others
wanted to keep their freedom.

Dhane
and Lila sat silently, watching the others.  He looked to Cassandra and shook his head.  Even if they wanted the safety of staying together, nobody would want to be under the same roof as him.  He was sure of that.

Nobody even looked in his direction.  Is it possible they could get past him now?  Or, more likely, they assumed he wouldn’t be under the same roof.  Lila put her hand on his arm.

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.  This is either accepted with you or not at all.”

A nod would appease her, but he didn’t believe it for a moment.  The discussions died down and the time to vote came.  Cassandra wisely started with
Dhane
.  Better to point out the elephant in the room right off the bat.

“I’m good either way.”

“Very well, I’ll put that you are abstaining from the vote.”

Cassandra continued around the room.  S
ix
were
strongly for the group living quarters, and
five were very much against.  Four abstained, and there was the three injured
who
would get a vote as well.  So far, it was looking like this might go through.  If even one of the injured witches was for it, Cassandra would have the deciding vote.  She appeared to favor the idea.

“How about this, just to appease everyone.
  We will purchase the
G
rand
H
otel a few blocks north of here.  There’s room for everyone and more
;
for those who like their independence, they
can remain
on their own.  They will still have to perform guard duty on the group living quarters, though.  Sound fair?”

Ah, Cassandra, always
the
great diplomat in this group.  Everyone was happy, but those
who had
abstained would soon have to make their decision: in or out. 
Dhane
was unclear what he would decide.  The risk of practicing his secret spells would be increased enormously. 

Then there were the visits from Heather.  Oh, and now Amelia had ventured to see him, so she may show up there as well.  Would they even be allowed?  Lost in thought, he missed
the rest of the meeting.  All, except for the part where he would now be included on guard duty.

Teamed with Lila, nobody could complain.  Nobody really seemed to be inclined to, anyway.  With all that had happened recently, he had become more of an afterthought. 
All the
better for him.

“
Dhane
, a word?”

The meeting had apparently ended, and Cassandra waved for him to come to her chambers.  Had she really found the spell pages yesterday?  He really needed to burn those.
  Once they were in private, she asked him to take a seat, seriousness written on her face.

“I have a question for you.  Have you seen that vampire again lately?”

He nodded.

“And Amelia?”

Another nod.

“I see.  I’m concerned about the effect that might have in the Grand Hotel.  At one end is a special suite, taking up the entire end of one floor.  It has a private entrance, so your ‘guests’ wouldn’t have to go in and out through the lobby.”

Half expecting a lecture, he was surprised at the proposal. 
He wouldn’t mind having the separate entrance just for himself.  Any awkwardness with living near the others could be avoided.

“Thank you, Cassandra.  That would be great.”

“Nobody batted an eye about living near you.  See, the real you
is
shining through, and they’re starting to see what I’ve always seen.  You can be trusted and now they’re seeing that.”

Her smile ate at him.  Those fucking spell pages were all he could think about.  A farewell was all he could muster before leaving.  It was time to put an end to this.

42

Dhane
arrived back at his apartment to find his door ajar yet again.  Inside, his place was trashed.  The apartments were a dump, but he tried to keep his living space as clean as possible.  In a pile, he saw his books, all opened and mangled.

Fuck
!

The spell pages were gone. 
So much for turning them in or destroying
t
h
e
m.
  Who the hell would have done this?  Who even knew the pages existed?

“
Heather.
”

The words barely escaped his lips when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  Startled, he turned and swung on instinct.  The punch landed square on the jaw and sent the woman falling to the ground with surprise.  Seeing who it was, he wasn’t sure if he should apologize, or do it again.

“That’s some greeting,” Heather rubbed her jaw as she got up.  She was barely fazed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you. 
I just got home to this mess, and reflexes took over.”

“Holy shit!
  Who would rob you?”

“The only thing worth taking is gone, and that’s the spell pages.  As far as I know, only one person knew about them.”

“You think
I
took them?  Why would I?  I can’
t use them, and I’m the one who
brought them to you.”

He kicked over the one chair still standing as he walked around the apartment and surveyed the damage.  Whoever it was made sure there weren’t any other pages hidden about.

“Did you tell anyone about the pages?”

She shook her head and walked over to the bed.  Once it was straightened, she plopped down and seemed more distraught than him.  At this point he was sure she hadn’t taken them.  Now he felt like an ass for hitting her, even if he didn’t do it on purpose.

Dhane
walked over touched her cheek as he looked for any bruising.  Satisfied, he sat down on the bed next to her and pondered whether to tell Cassandra everything.

“Don’t look so glum.  I like it when you’re rough with me, just no more sucker punches.  I like to fight back.”

Heather pulled him back onto the bed and kissed him.  Hands unclasped his belt and unbuttoned his pants.  Soon they were yanked down to his ankles and her head went into his lap.  The piercing feeling was vaguely familiar, and he realized her payback was going to be feeding off him. 
Whatever.
  He deserved it.

The spell pages lingered in his mind as he waited silently for her to finish.
  She finally sat back up and
laid
down next to him.

“Do you still remember the spells?”

“Yeah.
  I’m just worried the traitor, Rachel, may have them now.”

“As long as you remember them, everything will be fine.  She probably won’t even be able to figure out what they do.  In the meantime, did you want to try that animate spell on me again?”

Her hand slid over his boxers.  He wasn’t in the mood, and there was zero chance he was using that spell again.  After last time, he needed to know more about it first.

“I’m not really in the mood.  Besides, I have to start packing.”

“Where are you going?”

Damn.

He didn’t really want to tell her anything about what the council was planning, just in case she wasn’t being on the level with him.  A little white lie should do the trick.

“I have to go out of town and check on another council.  Shouldn’t be gone long, but I want to pack up some things in case bad weather hits or anything.”

“Better safe than sorry.
  I guess I’ll let you get to it then.  I’ll check back with you in a couple of days.  While you’re gone, I’ll nose around with any vampires I can find, and see if they know anything about the spell pages.”

“Thanks
,
Heather.  I’ll talk to you later then.”

A kiss and she was gone. 
Dhane
wondered why he kept seeing her like this.  Clearly he had feelings for Amelia, but something always drew him to Heather.  As soon as she was in the room, any rational thoughts of breaking things off with her were out the window.

I guess it could be worse.  I could still be alone.

4
3

Through luck, the event room at the Grand Hotel was already available, and since they would be moving in within a week, it was very convenient.  The night came, and everyone was on guard.  It was supposed to be an event to let people relax, but everyone in a single location made tensions high. 

Cassandra had spells cast all around the event room, securing it at much as possible, and requested everyone stay within.  For their own protection, they planned to.

Dhane
arrived and was unsure what to expect.  Dressed to a T and ready to basically stand against the wall, he entered the event room and was floored.  At least two dozen people were within, meaning it was more than just their council.
  He swallowed hard.

He walked through and really wasn’t sure if he knew anyone.
  Everyone was well dressed
, elegant hairstyles on the women,
and
they were all
wearing masks. 
Dhane
found a table off alone and ordered a rum and coke.

“Enjoying
yourself
?”

It was clearly Cassandra.  He had spent enough time
with her that even in the mask, he recognized her.  God
,
she looked beautiful.

“Sure, I suppose.  A few more rum and cokes and I’ll be great.”

“I’m sure this is a bit strange for you, but get used to it.  These are now back as part of our traditions.”

“I’ll try to contain my excitement.  Who are the extra people here?”

“Take a guess.”

A couple approached and it took him a minute to figure out who it was.
  He politely stood and shook hands with the werewolf,
Xander
.

“It’s good to formally meet you,
Dhane
.  I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Barely able to keep from laughing as he glanced at Nicole, he managed to hold it to a smile.  The werewolf’s grip was strong, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

“Don’t worry, not everything is true.”

“I’m sure it’s not,” he laughed.

Nicole wasn’t amused, but she politely held out her hand and
Dhane
quickly kissed the back of it.  They nodded to each other and that was the extent of their exchange.  One of the most outspoken witches against him, the level of politeness surprised him.

“Cassandra, I thank you for allowing me to come.”

“Of course,
Xander
.
  We
need to build our partnership
, and what better way to work together, than to play together as well?”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Xander
glanced over his shoulder towards a woman who was watching them.  She seemed anxious to come over, but was hesitating. 
Xander
nodded to her as he and Nicole
walked away.  The woman walked over
on her high heels, her short blond hair and pink lips revealed to Cassandra who she was.

“Amber.”

“Good evening, madam.  I hope I do not intrude by coming to your gathering.”

Cassandra’s heart was racing.  Unsure of what to do, what to say, or even how to act, she looked to
Dhane
with desperation.  A nod, a last swallow of his drink, and he rose from his chair.  Walking around the table, he stepped up to Amber and kissed her cheek.

“We are very happy you have come.  May I show you around the hotel?  The master chamber is very nice.”

A wink to Cassandra, and then he cocked an elbow for Amber to take.  She obliged and he led her out, up the stairs to the elevator, and to the fourth floor.  There, a single living area resided, which would be Cassandra’s once they moved in.

“It would probably be best for Cassandra if nobody knows you’re here to see her,”
Dhane
explained.  “That could make things in the council uncomfortable for everyone.”

“I see.  Should I go?”

“No,” Cassandra said from the doorway.  “I would like for you to stay.”

Dhane
excused himself after exchanging smiles with the council head, and then shut the door behind him as he left.  Cassandra walked over to Amber and kissed her gently, tasting her soft lips, feeling her body against her own.

Amber didn’t resist, didn’t do anything.  She stood quietly, returning the kiss and wondering if she would be allowed to do more.  Carefully her hands moved to the witch’s hips, moved around her waist, and finally hugged the woman.  Satisfied with the fact that there was no resistance, she let herself
sink
into the moment.

“Touch
me
, everywhere
.”

As though nobody else was on Earth, they became lost in each other.  Dresses were carefully removed, undergarments quickly followed, and soon they found themselves in a passionate embrace on the bed.

For the next hour, there was only the moment.  Touching, tasting, feeling every inch of each other,
neither held anything back
.  In case this was the only chance they might have to be together, they took full advantage.  This was going to be a night neither would soon forget.