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“Please tell me Ayden doesn’t want to explain his life story? I don’t think I could take two in one week.”

“No, your training sessions will be combat training.”

She felt relieved and guilty. She was happy that Ember had chosen to share her life with her but her heart couldn't take any more loss.

“Did Ember become a member of the coven once she found you?”

“Yes. She was never lucky enough to meet your
mother;
she was born a few decades too late. Once she was initiated she was told the history of the coven and she felt somewhat compelled to protect you, hence her visits to London.”

She knew the reason she felt compelled to protect her, it was because of the loss they shared. “I’m tired, Tabitha, I’m going home.”

“Yes, it has been a trying evening for you.”

Tabitha wrapped her arm around her shoulders and gently kissed her on the cheek.

“Goodnight, Cora.”

“Night, Tab
.
”

Tabitha held the door open for her but she didn't follow. That was one great difference between Tabitha and her mother. Tabitha knew when she needed to be alone.

Chapter 2
0

NOT A BAD WAY TO END A WORKING DAY

Cora was dealing with the elderly lady of the love spells whose name she’d discovered to be Mrs Rogers. She’d had to deal with all the customers today as Tabitha was out delivering. Cora placed bark in the bag which she then passed over to Mrs Rogers who quickly left. At least it was Friday, dealing with the kinky Mrs Rogers on a Friday was bearable.

             
The little bell tinkled as she began procedures for closing up. She turned to see Clay sauntering up the steps towards her. Her heart skipped many important beats. Smoothing down her hair, she smiled at him. Without saying a word, he walked right up to her and brushed his lips against her cheek.

“Hi.”

“Hi. Do you want something from the shop? I'm about to close up.”

“I actually came here to ask if you were doing anything later.”

“Oh, I have plans with a friend tonight.” Disappointment sat like lead in her stomach.

“Okay, no problem,” he smiled. “We can arrange something for another night. Do you mind if I walk you home?”

“No, of course not, let me get my things.”

She locked the till, put the takings in the safe and set the alarm. She followed Clay outside and shivered as a gust of cold wind slapped her face. She pulled her jacket tighter around her body.

“Here, let me do that.”

Clay pulled her under his arm and into his warm body. She was consciously aware that they were out in the open and any member of her coven could see this. How would they react? Jack could also appear around the corner and then what would she do? Clay couldn't know that she was witch, Tabitha had made this perfectly clear. Commoners and witches were a big no-no. So what was she doing?

“So, I guess you'll be busy for the next couple of weeks, what with Halloween around the corner?”

“Yeah, we have lots of bus tours coming in. You know what it’s like this time of year, the excitement about the supernatural.”

“So... what do you think of the supernatural and stuff?”

She laughed trying to hide her discomfort. If only he knew what she thought of the supernatural and
stuff
. “I think it could be possible. Look at Harry Potter; he's done well for himself.”

He laughed pulling her closer into his body.  “When are you free?”

“I don’t work Sundays and sometimes I can have Saturday afternoons off.”

They stopped at the entry way to her house.

“Okay, it’s a date,” he confirmed.

With that comment, she watched him walk away and felt disappointed he’d not kissed her cheek again.

*

She opened the door and found Ayden stood on the step with a huge grin on his face. She cast a dubious glance at his attire. He was wearing navy blue cord jeans and a white shirt. Who would wear white if they were going to get their arse kicked? Yes, that was wishful thinking on her part perhaps, but it could happen. She had decided on navy blue and black so the mud wouldn’t show. They'd had a light shower since she’d got home from work so the mud was nice and spongy.

“Hi, may I come in?”

“Sure. Mum, Ayden’s here.”

She turned to see her mother already stood in the doorway grinning like a school girl with a crush. Ayden turned his deep ocean blues on her mother. “Laura, it is always a pleasure. Thank you for having me in your home.”

He gently brushed his lips against her mother’s cheek. A deep red exploded in her mother’s neck and cheeks which created a softness that made her whole face glow.

“Of course, you are always welcome here. I will leave you two to train. Would you care for a drink before you start?”

“No. We need to get started but thank you.”

Ayden started leading the way to the back door. How did he know where the back door was? She shook her head, it didn't matter. She felt excitement dance giddily inside her. This was going to be fun.

TRAINING

Ayden walked down the wooden steps, past the lounging chairs and into the middle of the garden. He stood for a moment, his back to her as if he was looking at the shield of trees that surrounded them. Then he turned and faced her. Even from this distance she could see the flash of excitement in his eyes. She nearly jumped happily on the spot. What would he teach her first? Defensive moves? Attack?

“Right, give me what you’ve got.”

A jolt of surprise shot through her body. “Ayden?”

“I want to see what you've got without training. I need to know how powerful you are and what we need to work on.”

She could tell him what she'd got, a fat lot of nothing. She didn't know any combat moves. She waited for his laughter, the stupid belly laugh that always made her giggle. He was no longer smiling at her. His eyebrows collided in frustration, his lips were pulled thin. She noticed that his eyes no longer sparkled like the sun’s kisses upon the surface of the blue sea. This wasn't good.

“High Priestess, we start now!”

She jumped. She couldn’t hurt this man, she knew him, she liked him. Well, she had up until this point.

“Cora!!”

             
Having no other option she rather shakily made her way down the steps moving past the sun loungers towards him. Lifting her trembling hands she placed them in front of her body. She couldn’t do this. Rather embarrassingly she felt like crying. Her hands dropped dejectedly back down to her sides.

             
A blinding pain exploded in her shoulders, the act forcing her to the floor. It happened so quickly she didn't have time to put her hands out to stop her face from hitting the grass. A shocked cry escaped her lips as her chest took the brunt of the fall and her head smacked heavily against the ground.

             
Gathering her senses she violently coughed up what seemed like a lung and moved herself off her chest. The pain in her shoulder was so immense she actually forgot how to breathe. Was Jack here? She was sure she'd heard the faint whisper of his laugh.

             
She pushed herself so she was on all fours. Standing wasn’t going to happen whilst her head rolled around. It felt like her brain was sloshing in a fish bowl. What had just happened? Breathing in another lungful of air, she felt like she was ready to stand up. A sledgehammer crashed straight into her side crunching heavily against her ribs. She tasted acid as bile was pushed from her stomach into her mouth.

             
Before she could suck in much needed oxygen something yanked her ponytail from behind, ripping any thought process clean out of her mind. She lifted her hands in an attempt to grab the person but they were suddenly pulled awkwardly and painfully behind her back, her wrist screamed as the tension became too much. She panted breathless with pain as she felt her bone creak with the effort to stay in one piece. She screamed and then bit her lip thinking of the danger her mother could be in.  She thrashed in the little space she had to manoeuvre and then the bone in her wrist exploded.

Instead of pain, she felt power.

A torrent of wind surged around her, she grinned just as it burst from within her. The results were instant, the hold on her was gone and she was free and falling to the floor.

             
Pushing herself to a crouching position on her one good hand, she turned around and found them. One attacker stood on the grass but he was already pushing himself to his feet. The other must had smacked hard against the house as he lay slumped face down against the wall. She focused her attention on the man who was stood with his back to her but something didn’t look right. She jumped back and gasped as the attacker turned and faced her.

Ayden.

What the hell was going on? Her wrist throbbed, each pulse of her heartbeat sending horrific pain surging through her hand. She placed it down beside her body. Ayden had quite clearly lost his bloody mind.

“Put your hands up!”

She obeyed immediately, pain soared up her arm affecting the function of her lungs. She held her breath as the pulse in her wrist intensified.  Ayden stepped closer. She blinked and another appeared beside him. She put her hand down, the throbbing causing her more pain that she could handle. Ayden grinned, shook his head and then charged at her. Did he think she’d given up?

Not a chance.

             
The wind laughed joyfully as she threw it at him. It lifted and flung him aside like a carcass. She stood, braced for what came next. She blinked and in that one second another Ayden was stood in front of her smiling, he was clearly enjoying himself. A crunch sounded behind her making her turn. She lifted her arms but knew it was a feeble attempt to block an attack. This was why he should be teaching her defence moves.

             
A blinding white light exploded behind her eyes as his knuckles connected against her cheek bone. Her body tumbled to the floor. The hard smack on her body made her wheeze. She lay on the floor gasping for breath, tears streaming down her face. She was caked in mud, she was in pain. Enough was enough. If Ayden wanted to see what she had; he was going to get it.

             
Thunder boomed; the sky darkened. The ground responded almost immediately rippling from her anger.
Ayden ran at her, her element flew at him, picked him up and tossed him aside. Another Ayden appeared and she did the same thing. She was panting with the effort as two more ran towards her, a growl escaping his lips. She lifted them together and sucked in a deep breath feeling the pain in every corner of her body. She dropped them to the floor.

“Enough.”

Ayden stepped out of the trees and looked exactly the same as he had when he'd arrived. How did Ayden look so perfect? She probably looked like she had been through a war. Her cheek had ballooned
;
she could already see a lump from the corner of her eye. With every breath her rib cried out in pain. Her wrist was no longer supporting any part of her hand. She slumped to the floor and felt Ayden lift and cradle her against his chest. “Cora, drink this.” Ayden thrust something into her hands.

She lifted the cup slowly to her lips tasting something warm.

             
When she opened her eyes her mother and Ayden were peering down at her. Both had two very different expressions on their faces. Her mother looked like she was going to cry, worry lines were etched deep around her eyes. Ayden was smiling
;
it looked like he was happy with the training session.

Nothing about that whole experience had been pleasurable. She didn’t want a repeat.

“I have to say, that was fantastic. I set out to push you and you did exceptionally well. You are already in tune with your power, you feel... it feels. It was amazing. The thunder was something new.” His eyes sparkled.

“Glad you enjoyed the show.” Her sarcasm made his grin stretch wider.

“I tested you and perhaps I did wrong by duplicating myself. You wouldn’t make a move until I attacked you. You must understand that sometimes you face people you know. Your friends, people you trust, they may turn against you and you must be prepared to defend yourself. You do not think, you act.”

“Aren’t you hurt at all? I feel like I’ve been through a war and you look....normal.”

“I feel pain the same as you. You slammed me against the house, of course I’m hurt. But we learn to control our pain, something you will learn in time. I know I have a few cracked ribs but nothing I can’t sort out. With intense training you will also be able to recover quicker and hide the injuries you do have.”