The Price of a Gift (The Price of Secrets Series) (30 page)

"Ready." Daniel and I said in unison.

Jaycee raised her face up to the sky. "Fire, protect us from this evil." The flames from the candles' shot up a foot into the air. Shocked, it was all I could do not to yelp like a little girl. "Water, cleanse us from this evil. Air, move this evil away from us. Earth, keep this hallowed ground safe from absorbing this evil. Thank you all." Jaycee looked magnificent and powerful, older even. The wind was pushing her hair away from her face, but in slow motion. Each curled strand was floating in midair! Had she not been my best friend, I would totally be afraid of her right now. She squeezed our hands, letting us know it was our turn to repeat after her. I conjured an image of myself getting into the shadow demons disgusting head. "Hear this plea to make our case, send this evil through time and space, and remove this demon from this place. As we will, so shall it be." Daniel and I repeated it with Jaycee.

I pushed the thought into the demons head with all my might. I could see the tornado of black, pure evil that was swirling around in his mind getting smaller. I could feel that the shadow demon was losing some of his strength. This angered him more, and he started to look for a weakness in our circle. He kept trying to cross over the salt, but
every time he was blocked by an invisible force field like wall.

"Again."
Jaycee ordered.

We did this three times. Each time he got weaker and weaker. The strength and power behind our words had us needing to hold on tight to
each other’s hand. The pressure was so intense, it was forcing us back. I closed my eyes tight and pictured a ball of our words appearing into his head. I felt that Daniel was inside there with me as I watched the demon explode from within. A calm sensation flowed through us. I know we all three received it because I felt it come through me from Jaycee, and enter into Daniel. I couldn't sense the shadow demon after we finished the chant for the third time. The candles that had once been a blaze, was nothing more than small clouds of smoke now. It was over. I could feel that the shadow demon wasn't destroyed, just defeated. But for now, that was good enough for me. The next time, if and when we have to face him, we will be ready.

"It's over, he's gone for now. We won!" I said, jumping into Daniel's arms. "Did you mean what you said when I was knocked out?" I said lightly into his ear.

He pulled me back so he could see into my eyes. "You heard that?" We both blushed.

"Yes I did." I said shyly.

"I meant every last word of it. I love you Hannah Marie Price. I love everything about you. From your smile, to your powers that make you different, to your amazingly big heart, to your loyalty, to your beauty, even your crazy friends."

"Hey!" I heard Jaycee say from behind me.

But Daniel went on. "I love you and I feel, no I know, that love will grow with every new, little, thing I discover about you."

I don't think my heart could get any
fuller. This has been a roller coaster of a day when it comes to emotions, but this part right here, made it all worth it. "I love you too Daniel...what's your middle name?"

He smiled and put a strand of hair behind my ear. A gesture I have grown to anticipate. "Bryant." He said.

"I love you too Daniel Bryant Carver. I love you for accepting me for who I am, and for all that you are. I love your caring nature and your strength. I just simply love you for being you." In that moment I was the leading lady who was strong and confident, with a take charge action. I pulled him into the best sweaty palm, butterflies in the stomach, toe curling kiss, possible.

Jaycee rudely interrupted. "Barf. I helped too
ya know."

And 'end scene' on my moment. I held on tight to Daniel for just a tad longer before turning to Jaycee. "I love you too." I hugged her. The
evening’s events started flooding back to me. I slowly stepped away, leaving my hands on her shoulders, and looked her straight in the eyes. "What the crap was that? How did you do that? How did you even know to do that?" She blinked several times like she was just realizing what she had done. It was almost comical. "You called on the elements, and they listened!" I gave her a little shake.

"I have no idea. It was like, it was me, but someone else was telling me what to say and do." She said, looking at the candles and the salt then back to me. "Are you sure you weren't in my mind doing this?" I shook my head no. "Well then what do you think it was?"

Daniel walked over to us and gave Jaycee a pat on the back. "That's easy. You're a witch."

Jaycee started to back away from us.
"What? I'm not a witch!" She kept getting farther away. "I'm way too pretty! I don't ride a broom or have a black cat."

"That's all stereotype." Daniel stated.

"I'm good, I don't worship the devil! I can't be a witch, dammit, I'm Baptist!" Jaycee cried.

Daniel's right, I know he is. I feel it. My mind started racing back to all the signs; the living impaired doesn't come to me when Jaycee's around, she saw the aura of that creep Brad, her own aura has started to change, she knew that Samantha had to pass over on a full moon. This was just naming a few clues that I should have picked up on.

“Witches are not evil Satan worshipers, Jaycee." Daniel said, trying to sound rational.

"You have to be mistaken. I have never practiced magic, or performed spells." She tried, without success, to believe what she was saying.

"It doesn't matter. You are a natural born witch. It's in your blood."

Hearing in Daniel's voice that he didn't see this as a problem, more like it's a good thing, eased my mind.
"How long have you known?" I asked him.

"Since the day I met Jaycee. At first, I thought you knew and was just keeping it a secret. Then when I found out that you two didn't have a clue. I decided it wasn't for me to tell, that Jaycee would learn of it in her own time."

My heart went out to Jaycee. She looked so scared and confused. "Let's get out of here before the shadow demon decides he wants another round. We can finish talking about this in the car." We collected the candles and Daniel blended the salt into the earth while Jaycee said a few words. She said something about cleaning or closing the circle. I looked down at the two graves. "Sammy, you take good care of your mom. Goodbye Samantha." I took Jaycee's hand and lead her back down the path to the car.

To show my support, I rode in the back seat with Jaycee. Once we were out of sight of the cemetery, I started to feel safe and more relaxed. I think we all did.

"You said you knew I was a... a witch when you first met me. How did you know?" Jaycee asked Daniel.

"By your energy."
He said, looking at us through the rear view mirror. We didn't say anything, waiting for him to elaborate. "Energy is attracted to energy. It's drawn to each other. Do you think it's a coincidence that you two have been best friends since kindergarten, and that you both just happen to have powers?"

Jaycee and I looked at each other. "We're both freaks." I said, giving her a big smile, trying to make her feel better.

"Bitch." She smirked.

"Witch."
I retorted.

She couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You got
me, that was a good one. Ok Chief, continue. You said I was born a witch?"

"Yes, basically it's in your blood. Sometimes a male can be a witch, but usually it is passed from mother to daughter."

"I think my mom would have given me a heads up. Ya know, somewhere between finger painting and the sex talk." Jaycee scoffed.

"It can skip a generation, so there is a chance that your mother's powers have stayed dormant. Unless your grandmother told her about your family's bloodline, she wouldn't know anything
about it."

"My grandma died when I was three."

"You need to talk to somebody on that side of the family because you are turning sixteen soon."

"So?" She asked.

"Sixteen is when you will come into your full powers. Tonight was nothing compared to what you're going to be able to do."

"No shit?" Jaycee arched her eyebrow.

"None at all." Daniel said smiling. Like me, he could see that Jaycee was coming around to the idea.

Jaycee pulled my hair. "Looks like I'm
gonna be a bad ass too."

"I guess that means that you're no longer the butler to my batman." I joked.

"I do need to tell you both one more thing." Daniel paused to make sure we were ready to hear what he had to say. "The amount of power between the three of us is going to attract supernatural attention. We are going to have to be on guard and ready for anything."

I tried to wrap my mind around what Daniel was saying. It was all so overwhelming. It was hard to take in everything that has happened to us in such a short amount of time.

I was caught off guard when I felt someone or something enter my mind, trying to control my thoughts. It wanted me to know that it was there. I wasn't familiar with the energy I was picking up on. It didn't feel evil, so I let it stay, just to see what it is trying to tell me. Suddenly, a memory of my dad telling me that there is a reason for everything was placed into my mind. I thought about Daniel coming into my life, and what a gift to me that has been, and how I felt stronger just by being with him. Also, there is Jaycee, my best friend from as far back as I can remember, who we just found out is a witch. Then I was taken back to Samantha, and her last words to me were 'your story will be of unimaginable power and greatness'. Everything is falling into place. The energy spoke to me in my mind, and then left just as fast as it came. "Daniel's right,” I confirmed, “they're coming."

........Mom and Dad were waiting on us when we got home. Looking tired and worn out from worry, they were so relieved to see us walk through the door. We told them all about what happened, even about Jaycee. Dad said he always knew there was something special about her, he just couldn't ever figure out what. He thanked Daniel for looking out for me,
then told me how proud he was, and I got all sappy. So, I will be closing this chapter in my diary and starting a new one tomorrow. I will miss Samantha, but I know she is happy and safe now. I will never forget the glee in her eyes when she went into the light. I was able to see her true beauty. Now I have new things to worry about, Jaycee being one of them. I am going with her to talk to her grandmother's sister. She is still alive, and Jaycee says she still has all her marbles. Her words, not mine. Hopefully she will be able to shine some light on Jaycee's witch heritage. If not, Daniel seems to think I might be able to call on her grandmother. I hope it doesn't come to that. You start calling on spirits, you never know who is going to answer. All in all, Jaycee is taking this very well. As a matter of fact, she is soaking in my bathtub right now, claiming to be cleansing her aura. Can witches be divas? But I have to say she was flippin' awesome! She looked like a goddess out there tonight. Of course, I would never tell her that cause her head is big enough already. She doesn't know if she will tell Mike or not. She will keep mine and Daniel's secret regardless of her decision. I told her maybe she should wait until she knows more about her powers before saying anything. I didn't tell her this, but I wonder if he will be able to accept it or not if she does tell him. Also, on my worry list, is this parade of supernaturals that are on their way to find us. Well, maybe not a parade, but it sure feels like it. And let's not forget the energy that got into my mind and whispered to me. Although, I still don't think that it was evil. So, with all this impending doom, why can't I keep this smile off my face, you ask? Because Daniel loves me and I love him. He is mine, all of his -six foot, dimples, six-pack, tanned, hotness- self. With Daniel and Jaycee having my back, I can face anything. We can face anything, together. After all, we are extraordinary.

The End, For Now