Wolf Spell 1 (39 page)

“Why don’t you just magic them?” Ian of course was right.

I glared at him for thinking about it that way. I didn’t want that right now. He always gets cocky when he’s right. Besides, I tried to avoid doing that, but I guess the time had come. I flicked my hand, and my shades and cell landed in my palm. He eyed the phone and shrugged. “There’s no service up here.”

“If I have to run from zombies or Bigfoot, I will run to service.”

“I thought you said you could take on Bigfoot?” He laughed and came closer.

“Yeah, if I trip you, I won’t have to take care of him, now would I?” I flashed him a devilish smile and turned back around.

“True, but you’d have to be faster than me to trip me.”

Footsteps broke up our banter. He held his finger to his mouth and turned to leave back toward the tomb. I followed close behind him.

“Es!” I could hear Jarak before I actually saw him.

I ran to meet him and he lifted me in his arms, twirling me around. He pressed his lips down on mine, reclaiming what was his. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but I relaxed and kissed him back. My heart sped up, and I blushed when I realized the others could see us.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so worried about you. Then we found Victor—“

I cut him off, “Victor?” Oh my gosh.

“Yes, he’s here with us, just to warn you.”

I twirled around. Victor was right behind my parents. I wondered how my mother had kept from killing him this whole time. I ran to my mom and hugged her tightly, grateful to see her, then my dad. In a short time, he’d become a hero to me. Their story was a true love story, like one you’d see in the movies.

I spotted Victor stopping a short ways away.

“Come on.” My dad gestured him to come closer, but he didn’t budge.

I spoke up, “He can’t. I placed a shield around the area. Nobody but us can get through.”

“That works for me.” My mom raised her upper lip in a smirk. “He should stay outside the protective circle. Hopefully he’ll get eaten.”

Okay so she might not have killed him, but she obviously thought about it.

“Adonia that is enough. We might need him.” My dad’s voice was loud.

“I know you must hate me.” Victor moved toward my mom.

She rushed to the perimeter with her fists clenched tightly. “You know nothing. You had my daughter kidnapped from me, had her raised by someone else, and withheld her rightful powers. Then, you kidnapped her yet again. You haven't seen hate yet.” Her voice was so loud that it scratched.

I went up behind her, placing my hands on her shoulders. “Mom I'm here now, it's okay.”

She turned to me with tear streaks running down her face. “They took you away from me. I can’t just sit back, it's too hard.”

I twisted toward my dad, my eyes scrunched. “How did he get up here this far without mom killing him?”

“I made him take a separate vehicle with Jarak. After about a mile in the same one I realized it wouldn’t work.” He barely tipped his head and shrugged his shoulders.

“Thank God too, cause I was gonna shoot them both. I had to sit in the middle between them!” Ailaina picked her foot up and stepped over a fallen tree.

 “I’m glad you’re here,” I whispered as I hugged her.

She smiled. “Me too.”

My dad stopped walking and looked around. “I hate him just as much and would like nothing more than to see your mom incinerate him, but I also know we might need him if Nicholas shows up. He’s willing to fight for you if you choose to help him.”

“Help him?” Did he forget everything Victor put me through?

“His sister is Katrina, and she needs your help. Nicholas turned her into a crossbreed years ago, but she was a witch who turned into a vampire, so it’s different from the innocent humans who are turned into vampires. Except, she is on the verge of dying. He wants you to break the curse over her.”

I understood the need to want to help family. It wasn’t that long ago when I thought Meadow was my mom, and I helped turn her into a crossed-vampire just so she could live. I shivered as I glanced Victors way.

I folded my arms over my chest and shifted my weight onto one leg. “Fine.”

My mom turned back to Victor. “If you so much as pluck one hair off her head I will finish my threat and turn it into a promise.”

“I’m not here for her, well not in that aspect anyway. I don’t want to hurt her. I never have. I may not have the same emotions toward her as you do, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

Ailaina elbowed me in the side to get my attention. “I think he’s telling the truth. She did a truth spell on him back in Chattanooga.”

The Awakening

– Esmerelda –

November 21, 2012

“Are you sure you’re ready?” My mom asked as she bent over, placing the last of the five candles that encircled the tomb. We were right in front of the entrance, and I could almost feel the excitement bursting from the spirits within.

I did my best at a grin and nodded. “Yeah.” I couldn’t wait to see Moriah. I’d only met her twice in spirit form, but I could feel a deep connection with her the most.

“This has never been done before. I am the oldest witch alive, and I can’t even remember my parents telling me about this being accomplished.” My mom shook her head and stared at her folded hands.

I knelt down with her. “They didn’t have me. We can do this, together.”

She grasped my hands. “Yes. We can.”

The crunch of snapping twigs caused me to turn around. Ian walked toward us. “Can I talk to you?”

I pointed to my chest. “Me?”

“Yeah.”

I stood up and gave my mom a look that told her I’d be right back. He took my hand as soon as I was close enough and I didn’t pull away. It felt so right. I just hoped Jarak wasn’t there to see. I wasn’t sure what I wanted, and until I did, I didn’t want to cause any unneeded drama.

He led me away from the tomb. The top of the cabin’s roof came into view down below us. I immediately placed a shield over us as we ventured past the ward barrier. I wasn’t going to take any chances.

“Esmerelda…” he hesitated.

“What? No Princess?” I jested with a smile.

He stopped walking and looked at me. “I have to tell you something. If something goes wrong with this spell or even after, I want you to know.”

He was never this hesitant with me before, and it caused my heart to speed up. What was wrong?

“I love you. With every fiber of my being. I have loved you for years. Since I was eight I’ve had dreams of you. I can’t live without you and I need you to choose me.” He still held my hands in his, and his eyes searched my wide ones.

He’s dreamed of me? He loves me? Choose him? My heart pounded. This wasn’t making my decision any easier.

“Please say something, anything,” he pleaded.

I opened my mouth to speak, unsure of what I would actually say, then Jarak came into the small clearing where we stopped. “Es, what are you doing outside the perimeter?” He looked at Ian and then at our hands. “I see.” His jaw went tight, and he marched closer.

“Jarak, it’s not what you think.” Tears blurred my vision. This was certainly not how I pictured this day going. I had enough on my plate, and this was just added crap.

“Oh it’s not? Then please tell me because I’d love to know.”

Ian squeezed my hands, and I understood. Somehow I could feel his thoughts, not hear them, but feel them. He didn’t want me to tell Jarak what he’d just told me. He had nothing to worry about. I wasn’t about to share that with anyone just yet.

“How about we start with you. Why don’t you tell her your secret?” Ian let me go and stood in front of me just a little.

Jarak’s face paled, which caused my heart to plummet. Secret? What secret?

“Why would you bring that up brother?” Jarak’s nostrils flared as he spoke.

“She has the right to know, especially before she brings her back to life!”

Okay, now they really got my attention. “What is going on? Jarak, what is he talking about?”

I watched his adams apple bob as he swallowed deeply. “Julie and I were together once.”

“Wait a minute, you and Julie? But that would mean you’re… You’d have to be…” I looked at Ian. “What is he saying?” I was ready to hyperventilate, and I could feel the world around me start to spin.

“He is a lot older than you think. We both are… I left home early, but that was back in 1946.”

I did the math in my head quickly. “Oh my God! That means you’re at least eighty years old! How is that possible? I thought Guardians weren’t immortal unless they were gifted or bonded with an immortal.” My head spun. I couldn’t begin to fathom what they were saying.

“We aren’t immortal unless we choose to be with one forever, a bonding so to speak. Guardians however, age at a slower rate than humans so we have a longer life span.”

All I could feel was animosity toward Jarak. I was angry at him for lying to me and the surprise of it all. I stepped in front of Ian, swung my fist, and hit Jarak in the face, “Why would you lie to me? I thought we had something going. You jerk! Is this why you seriously wanted to be with me? So you can save your long lost, dead girlfriend?”

He stepped forward, his arms reached out for me. “No, it’s not like that. At least not now. I love you.” He tried to hold my hands, but I pulled away.

“What do you mean at least not now?”

“I mean, at first when I found out you could awaken her… but then I got to know you and all of that changed. Please, Es, you must trust me on that.”

I backed up. “I can’t trust you right now.” As if things weren’t confusing enough. I threw my arms in the air and stomped off away from both of them. What would happen once I awakened Julie? Would things go back the way they left off?

“Princess, wait up.”

I didn’t stop. “I can’t believe this.” I twirled around to face Ian. I walked backwards and brushed the tears off my face. “I can’t believe you’re eighty years old!”

“Esmerelda, I told you Guardians don’t age like everyone else. We both look as if we are in our early twenties, but we’ve lived a long life. I told you the truth when I said I have dreamed of you since I was eight, which is seventy-three years of dreams Princess. I know how I feel about you.”

“Ian I can’t do this right now. You have to understand how confusing this must be for me.”

“I do and I will be patient, but I won’t give up.”

“Whatever.” I turned on my heel and walked back toward the tomb. One problem at a time.

My mom looked up as I stomped back to our circle. “Is everything okay dear?”

“Just old man problems, don’t worry about it.” I sat down on a fallen log close to the tomb.

She smiled, her eyes soft. “So Jarak told you.”

“You knew?” Everyone was against me.

“Honey, I’ve been around longer than they have.” She licked her lips and sat down next to me. “Their grandfather was your dad’s best friend. I watched them grow up. When Jarak and Julie were together, it was different than when he is with you. They both knew she would die, yet he stayed with her anyway… till the end, but I see the way he looks at you, and I think it could be something great.”

“What about Ian?”