The Price of Power (The Price of Secrets Series Book 2) (14 page)

    “It said that those poor witches died because the demons, the Triune, were trying to kill off my bloodline to ensure that I would never be. That somehow they foresaw what was going to happen.”

    So, not only can the Light see what‘s going to happen, but evil can too. Now would be a good time to share my dream since it can’t be a coincidence that both of us had prophetic dreams on the same night. Studying for the SAT’s have really upped my vocabulary skills.

    While Jaycee took a shower and got ready for bed, I wrote an entry in my diary. I made sure not to leave out Jaycee’s dream, or the fact that Jaycee wouldn’t stop asking me about MacKenna. She actually wanted to know who was prettier- her or MacKenna. I also wrote about the great progress Jaycee has made with her powers. After I told them about my dream she decided she wanted to try another element. So, the four of us went outside in the backyard, and Dad helped her with air. She was able to form a tornado effect with some leaves. I was very impressed but Jaycee was disappointed, she was hoping for something on a larger scale. Dad told her that nobody can run without first learning how to walk, and that seemed to help her pride some. Writing in the journal made me realize the subtle change in Jaycee today. She seemed older, and it wasn’t because she turned sixteen, I think something really did happen to her last night.

    I started to close my diary and decided to add one more thing:

    To my future self, or to anyone else reading this- believe your children and believe in them. I give my parents a hard time but they are amazing. They have always been there for me. I don’t think I would have been able to face what I have, or what’s to come, without them. The way Dad was with Jaycee today went above and beyond my expectations. That only makes me want to help Megan even more. She is no different than Samantha. No, Megan is not a living impaired, but she does need supernatural help. And just like when Samantha was here, Megan has no one to help her. We might not be friends with Megan, or heck even like her, but WE will help her. It’s the right thing to do, and I will convince Daniel and Jaycee of that.

    
I laid my diary on my nightstand as Jaycee came into my room, towel drying her hair. “Did you put in there what a badass I was today?”

    “Yes I did and you owe me two dollars.” She threw her towel at me. “Seriously though, I want to ask you something.”

    “Uh-oh, what?”

    “Are you planning on telling Mike soon?”

    “What part? That’s just it, I was going to, but then I was in the shower and thinking about what I was supposed to tell him. The part where I’m a witch and that Sassy is my familiar? Or the part where we have to fight big bad demons? Or the part where my best friend is a psychic seer and that her warrior boyfriend can move things with his mind along with talking to animals?” She sat down on my desk chair and faced me. “You have it easy, you’re boyfriend is a freak too. Hey, do you think Mike could be a part of the five? Do you get any supernatural feelings from him?”

    “No, sorry, and I was in his mind a lot when you were having me snoop before you started dating.”

    Jaycee was relentless back then. She was crazy over Mike and was so used to having guys fall all over her. When he didn’t do the same, she couldn’t tell what he felt for her. So, she begged me to look and I did. Not my most finest hour I know, but she needed me.

    “I didn’t think so, I haven’t picked up on anything either. To answer your question, no I’m not telling him yet. I just hate lying to him. I couldn’t even be with him today because I was afraid that coming into my powers would be a huge event and that didn’t happen.”

    “Yes it did, it was internal. Along with your aura, you have changed. I see it, I feel it.”

    “How?”

    “I see a drive in you that wasn’t there before. You have this hunger to not only practice your magic, but to nail it. And you will. When Jaycee Mitchell puts her mind to it, be it a test, a boy or whatever, she gets what she wants. Magic won’t be any different.”

    “Thanks Han.” She pulled my hair. “Do you think we have a shot at winning this thing?”

    I didn’t rush to answer, I wanted to really give her question some thought. I was shocked at what my honest answer was. “Yes, yes, I do. We are going to be superheroes.” I teased.

    “Fine by me, I look great in tights. You can be Wonder Woman, I call Cat Woman! Leather and a whip, that’s so me.”

    “You’re such a slut.”

    “Hate the game, not the player.”

    “Didn’t that go out with ‘jelly’?” I tossed her words back at her.

    “Nope, it’s a classic.”

Chapter 13

         Jaycee was up and out the door by 11 o’clock this morning. Mike wanted to spend the day with her, and seeing as nothing uncontrollable happened with her powers yesterday, we figured it would be safe. My goals for the day had been to stay in my pajamas, eat junk food while watching Christmas movie marathons. So, I was surprised when Daniel called and asked if I wanted to go with him to pick up his Christmas gift for me. Of course, I said heck yeah.

    I looked at the time on my cell phone, he’s ten minutes late. Daniel is never late. I decided to give him a call, and as I heard it ring in my phone, I could hear a phone ringing from down the hall. It sounded very much like Daniel’s ringtone for my call. I got off my bed and followed the music.

    Sure enough,
Brown Eyed Girl
was blaring out of Daniels back pocket.

    “I didn’t know you were here.”

    He looked up and saw my cell phone to my ear. “Sorry, I was talking to your parents. Are you ready to go?”

    He was acting weird. “Yeah, sure.” I said my goodbyes to my parents and walked out of the house behind him. He opened the car door for me and waited for me to get in. “Where are we going?”

    Without saying a word, he bent down and kissed me sweetly, then gave me my favorite double dimple smile. He does that on purpose, he knows my weakness, but I’m totally okay with that. He closed the door, walked around and got in on his side, in complete silence.

    I wonder if he told Mom and Dad what he got me? Oh crap, I left his gift under the tree. After taking him to Cherokee and buying the bracelet for his birthday, he made me promise to keep his Christmas gift free and homemade. Following those guidelines, I made a picture frame out of leftover wood that Dad had out in the garage, painted it purple to match his aura and printed out a picture we took together the night of my birthday party- the night we started dating. I painted ‘You and I’ on the bottom of the frame in dark gray. Not only does it describe the photo perfectly, it’s also our song. Well, I decided it was going to be our song after he sang it to me on the ride up the mountain.

    “Wait, I have to go back inside. I forgot your gift.”

    “We are coming back, besides I told you that you didn’t have to get me anything.”

    “I know I didn’t have to, I wanted to.” I leaned over and tried to give him my most sexiest of looks. I got closer, to where I could feel his breath on my cheek. “Because you are the sweetest, kindest, best looking guy I have ever met.” I cocked my head to the side and pouted, ever so slightly, my bottom lip just like Jaycee has always tried to teach me. “Daniel,” I paused for the effect, “where are you taking me?”

    Daniel let his head fall back into the seat. “Oh you’re good, very good.” He started to laugh. “And you’re killing me.”

    Daniel still wouldn’t tell me. Even with all my feminine wiles, which let’s face it, wasn’t much. It’s not like I’ve had plenty of practice. So, I sat in the passenger seat and pretended that I was mature and perfectly fine with not knowing our destination. Which was a big pile of horse crap, I was about ready to explode. Luckily, before I resorted to begging, we turned off the main road onto a side street. I knew we had to be close. It took me a second to realize where we were heading, because I wasn’t used to going to the animal shelter from the back entrance.

    We had parked and got out of the car before Daniel said anything. “I got the okay from your parents. I want you to pick out any animal in here as your Christmas gift. I will totally understand if you don’t want the responsibility. Be honest, you won’t hurt my feelings. We can just go to the mall and pick out…”

    “Breath already.” I laughed. I’ve never seen anyone so nervous about giving a gift. “I love it. I have always wanted a puppy!” I grabbed him into a hug. “Thank you.”

    After assuring Daniel that I was crazy over the idea, he took me inside. The sounds of barking and yelping echoed through the hallway. The place seemed so cold with the cinder block walls and the cement floors, but Daniel explained that it made it easier to clean and hose down to prevent the spread of diseases such as something called parvo.

    We made our way toward the front entrance where an older woman was sitting behind a desk.

    “Hi, Mrs. James.”

    “Well hello Daniel.” Her warm smile extended to me. “Is this Hannah?”

    “Yes, Hannah, this is Mrs. James. This place would be lost without her.”

  Mrs. James beamed at the complement. “Oh now, I don’t know about all that. Daniel here is the one that has become an asset to us. He is so good with the animals. Hannah, it’s nice to finally meet you, I have heard so much about you. You were right, Daniel, she is a beautiful girl.”

    “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too.”

    “We are here to pick out her Christmas gift. She wants a puppy.”

    “Well we have them to choose from. You know where the keys are if she finds one she likes.”

    With that, she pushed a button from somewhere under her desk, and the large steel door to our right opened.

    Walking down the aisle of cages on both sides was a sad sight. Dogs of all ages and sizes rushed to the fences crying for attention. I did not expect to, nor knew that I could, feel the emotions that were pouring out of these poor animals. I felt their fear, excitement and anger of being in such a new and confined environment.

    “Oh Daniel, I can feel them. I thought I understood before why you volunteer here but I didn’t, not until right now.” I felt something else after the dogs saw, and smelled, who their visitor was. “They love you.”

    “I just try to give each one-on-one play time. They don’t deserve to be here. All they want is a good family to love.” He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “ I will stand here and let you go find the one that you want. I don’t want to influence you by letting on to which is my favorite pick for you. It is your decision, your bond.”

     I bet I spent twenty minutes just going from cage to cage, sticking my fingers through the fence to pet them. I stopped at a litter of mix breed puppies, about ten weeks old. Fat, fluffy, fur balls ran to greet me. Tail wagging excitement and adventure was the feeling I got from them. I lingered with them awhile before moving on to the next. There was an old basset hound that was much too tired and sleepy to bother with me. She was adorable. As I made my way toward the end of the line, I already had plans on going back to the one filled with puppies to make the hard decision of which one to pick. That was until I saw what was in the last cage.

    I have never seen a dog as big nor one that looked so… pristine, I guess is the word. I would have thought that it would be clumsy because of it’s sizes, but when it got up to come sniff me, it moved with such a prowling grace. As it made it’s way to me I noticed that
it
was a
he
. I think it was his eyes that got

me, they were so silver that they looked almost a translucent white. They pierced through me as if trying to read me. He stuck his long nose through the cage and I slowly lowered my hand for him to smell. Taking a risk, cause I must admit I was a little intimidated, I reached in to pet his thick grayish black coat.

    As soon as I made contact I
felt
him. His sadness, his longing to belong. Instinctively I sent him my feelings of respect and my admiration of his beauty. As I continued to rub his ears, that stood straight up at attention, he tilted his head against the gate and slowly closed his eyes. I knew then that the message had been received.

    “I want him.” I raised up to face Daniel. “I know I said a puppy, but I want him.”

    “Why him?” Daniel moved beside me. I didn’t miss the look that was exchanged between Daniel and the dog.

    “I feel a connection with him. He needs me and I think I just might need him too.” It was that simple. There was nothing Daniel could say that would change my mind. If this was going to cause our first fight, then so be it.

    “Great! I’m so glad. When you said you wanted a puppy I didn’t think you would even consider a large dog. I told him I wanted the two of you to meet.”

    Wait, what? “Then why ask me why?”

    “I was afraid that maybe you were picking up on me instead of yourself.” Daniel continued talking as he unlocked the cage. “His name is Rex, he is a two year old mix between and German shepherd and a wolf.”

    “A wolf? How did he get here?”

    “The owners brought him in with a story that they had to move and the apartment building they were moving into didn’t allow dogs. But I think they thought it was cool to have a wolf pup, and when he got too big they didn’t want him any more. It took me two days to bathe him and to get his coat brushed out.” He bent down to pet the dog. “Didn’t it Rex?”

    “Why hasn’t he been adopted already? He’s gorgeous.”

    “People are afraid of him. He weighs one-thirty and doesn’t have the best bedside manners.” He saw the worried look on my face and explained.

    “No, nothing bad. He was just standoffish to strangers and never tried to make a good impression. He had given up on trying to fit in. Right Rex?”

    “Okay first of all, he does not look like a Rex and second, I can relate to not fitting in.”

    I knelt down on my knees to look him eye to eye. His head was so big, it looked as if it made two of mine. I could see why people were afraid of him. Except for those eyes. Eyes that were filled with such love and loyalty, just waiting to be given to someone willing to give him a chance.

    “If you will have me, I will give you a good home and all the love you could ever ask for.”

    I looked to Daniel for a response. “He chooses you. He feels the connection too.”

    As if to confirm what Daniel said, Rex licked the side of my face and wagged his long slender tail in joy.

    I couldn’t help but giggle. “We have to do something about your name. How about Mojo?”

    “Mojo? Seriously?” Daniel snorted.

    “Why not? He could be my magical charm.” I thought it was cleaver.

    I was almost insulted when I thought of another name. “What about Blaze?”

    Daniel smiled as Rex’s ears perked up at the sound of the name. “Hey, I think he likes it.”

    “Well then, Blaze it is. You will be my light.” I gave him a tight hug and buried my face in his fur. “You will never have to worry about fitting in again.”

    After Daniel paid the fee, and stopping for dog food and such, we went home to introduce Blaze to my parents. Blaze was on his best behavior and Dad instantly fell in love with him. Mom, on the other hand, needed convincing. After promising that Blaze would not mess up her O.C.D. life and house, (and signing it with my blood- kidding) she reluctantly was on board. It was Daniel telling her that Blaze would protect me that sealed the deal.

    Daniel and I showed him around the house, starting with the back yard so he could do his business. I saved my room for last.

    “And this is our room. You can sleep with me but if you hear Mom coming you better jump down so her head won’t burst. Deal?” I looked at Daniel to interpret.

    “This is between you and Blaze. The two of you need to communicate and learn each others body language without my help. I won’t be here all the time to play go between. Besides, it’s not like he ‘talks’ to me. He give me images and feelings. The same feelings you have learned you can pick up on also.” He walked over and wrapped his arms around my waist.

    “I know, but I just want Blaze to be happy.” Daniel pulled me closer to him and kissed my jaw line. “That makes me happy.”

    He moved lower to place kisses on my neck. “How bout that?”

    “Delighted.” I teased.

    “And this?” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and made his way to my lips.

    “Ecstatic.”

    Daniel went in for another kiss when Blaze nuzzled his way between us. “Umm, excuse you.” He laughed. “It’s rude to interrupt. You and Jaycee are going to get along just fine.”

    We spent the rest of the day working with Blaze on simple commands; sit, stay, lay, and to be easy when receiving a treat. Daniel came up with his own command- protect. He had to cheat a little bit to get Blaze to understand by getting into his mind and showing him examples of what the word meant. So, now if I feel threatened, all I have to say is
protect
, and Blaze will be on guard. I don’t much like the thoughts of Blaze getting in harms way by putting himself in front of me, but I do have to admit I feel safer for it.

    By the end of the night Blaze and I both were ready for bed. Mom had put his oversized, pillow bed next to mine, but when she left my room, he jumped up next to me.

    “Good night Blaze. I love you.”

    He licked my face and made his way to the foot of my bed.

    It was the best sleep I’ve had in weeks. Until the sounds of rocks hitting my window woke me at midnight.