My family. Stasi looked around again. It"s my fault they"re part of this disaster, yet you"d think this was nothing more than another get-together.
The men were generous enough to shoo the witches out of the kitchen with the offer to handle the clean-up.
"Nick washing dishes. I must get pictures of this." Jazz conjured up her cell phone and ran in to snap photos. "It"s for my sc.r.a.pbook! Nick!" She returned with soaking wet hair. "He got hold of the sprayer in the sink," she muttered on her way to the bathroom for a towel.
Irma drifted in and settled in the rocking chair she"d sat in earlier.
"I wish I could knit," she sighed. "I used to crochet lovely afghans and knit baby sweaters, blankets, and booties. Every new mother wanted a set from me. Not that anyone here would have a need for them."
"True." Jazz walked in with her hair wrapped up in a towel. "No little witches running around."
Stasi felt a pang around her heart at Jazz"s words and if she wasn"t wrong, she saw that same hint of sorrow in Jazz and Blair"s faces. Part of the punishment Eurydice had laid on them back in 1313 was that they couldn"t have children.
Stasi knew it was better they didn"t have children. They didn"t know what it would be like for a child, considering the lifestyle she and her fellow witches had had over the centuries.
She was tired. Not physically but emotionally. She wanted a chance to pursue what was happening between her and Trev. She wanted to see if there was a chance for them. The L word whispered inside her mind, but she kept tucking it away. She was afraid if it continued it would become real, but what if his feelings weren"t as intense as hers?
When Trev later walked into the family room with an armload of boards, he shot her a look that promised some quality private time later on.
Oh yes, she really wanted to pursue this. And she"d know exactly what to do with her prey, too.
"I feel as if we"re prisoners," Stasi said, when she and Trev later retreated to her bedroom. He"d taken a shower claiming he was filthy after handling the boards and was now stretched out naked on the bed. Although the view was tempting, she looked at her window with the boards crisscrossed over it. Her linen chest under the window held a couple of leftover boards. Horace was snuggled down in a fleece-lined dresser drawer, snoring loudly, while Bogie was curled up nose to tail in his bed. "I want it to end." She lay next to Trev on the bed, idly pleating the duvet with her fingertips.
Trev caught her hand and brought it to his chest, holding it there and putting his hand over hers.
She slid over closer to him, closed her eyes, and rested her head on his shoulder. She enjoyed the feel of his warm skin and imagined she could feel his heartbeat under her palm. She inhaled the scent of his skin. "Mmm, you smell like chocolate mint." She moved her head just enough to kiss his neck. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed his c.o.c.k was stirring. She pulled her other hand over and lightly trailed his side. Oh yes, that did very nicely in catching his attention.
"Yeah, I noticed no glacier mountains or ocean waves fragrance body washes in your bathroom," he said wryly. "But I left your creams alone. My masculinity may be secure, but there"s only so far I"ll go."
"Thank Jazz. She loves her body products."
"And here I have a perfectly good body wash at the hotel that lets me smell like a guy."
"Yes, but now you smell good enough to eat." And she started to move down to prove it.
Trev held her back. "Horace?"
"I put a sleeping potion in that last bowl of chili. He"ll be out for a while."
He didn"t stop her this time, and pretty soon his eyes rolled back and he muttered something about her killing him.
By the time Stasi finished, Trev was sprawled across the bed looking very happy, indeed. When she crawled back up to him and kissed him deeply, he grinned.
"Woman, you are amazing." His smile dimmed and his eyes turned an even deeper blue. He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I think I forgot to tell you something."
Stasi had to smile down on him because there was something boyish about him she hadn"t seen before. "What did you forget to tell me that has you looking so serious?"
"I forgot to tell you that I"m in love with you."
Stasi was sure her heart had stopped. "You are?"
He nodded. "I know we haven"t known each other for long, and our meeting wasn"t exactly normal."
"It"s the hearts," she blurted out.
"No, it"s not. It"s all you and me." Trev curled his hand around her neck and brought her face down to his for a kiss that kept on going until they were gasping for breath. His hand trailed a path along her belly and kept going down to the damp slick folds.
"Yes," she gasped, pulling him closer and draping her leg over his calf as she wrapped her hand around his c.o.c.k and brought him to her.
He buried himself in her, feeling the pulsing of her inner muscles already clutching him in the beginnings of her o.r.g.a.s.m.
"I love you so much," she whispered as she rose up to meet him. "I love you." She laughed, feeling joy and freedom in the words.
"Mine. All mine." Trev thrust deeper and faster as his own climax took over.
The red hearts over their heads developed arms and high-fived each other.
Afterwards, Trev pulled the covers over them and they curled up together.
"The lunar eclipse is tonight," Stasi murmured, content to be in Trev"s arms. Her heart still sang with the notion he loved her. She realized she"d loved him for the past few days but had been afraid to admit it even to herself. His disclosure freed her to tell the truth. "Not that anyone can tell with the sky already so dark, even though there don"t seem to be clouds tonight. It"s as if a blanket covered it all. And not a nice blanket, either." Her shoulders rose and fell in a soft sigh.
"Maybe the eclipse will set things to rights." He laced his fingers between hers and brought her knuckles up to his lips for a lingering kiss.
She lifted her head slightly so she could see his face. "Do you think so?"
He was silent for so long she didn"t think he was going to answer.
"No, but it sounds good, doesn"t it?"
Stasi smiled. She was ready to believe anything if it meant Trev would be in her life. "Yes, it does."
Choking! Can"t breathe! Air is heavy. Choking.
Stasi opened her eyes to find the room gray and hazy. She tasted ash on her tongue, and her nose burned from the acrid smell in the air. She sat up in bed, coughing.
"This isn"t good, Stasi," Horace choked from the dresser drawer where he"d been sleeping.
Bogie floated up from his bed, licking her face and whimpering his distress.
"Trev. Trev!" She shook him hard. "Wake up!" She covered her mouth and nose with her hand as she slid out of bed, running to her closet and dragging out clothing.
"What the h.e.l.l?" Trev sat up and started hacking.
A fist pounded on Stasi"s door. "Get up!"
"We"re up!" she called out, hopping on one foot as she climbed into her jeans.
"Someone set fire to the building!" Jazz called out, fear lining her voice.
"Nick! He has to be the first one out." Stasi tossed Trev"s sweater to him as she dug out her own.
He threw it on, not caring it was inside out, and picked up Horace while Stasi grabbed Bogie.
The hallway was filled with smoke that stung their noses and caused their eyes to burn.
"Why didn"t the smoke detectors go off?" she asked, but no one was listening as they all made their way to the rear of the building. She feared they"d find the rear stairs in flames and they"d be trapped. Luckily, they were still intact, and they raced down them.
"Who would do this?" Irma asked, following them with her dog on her heels. She and Sirius were the only ones not coughing from the smoke.
"Motherf.u.c.kers," Nick spat out, seeing the flames inside his Navigator. But since just one spark could destroy him, he kept a safe distance. He held a wide-eyed Fluff and Puff in one hand and had a tight hold on Jazz"s hand with the other.
Still coughing and eyes burning from the smoke, they filed around the side of the building to the front, where the building was engulfed in flames that continued to lick upward.
"Kit-Kat!" Blair screamed, starting to run back to the building, but Jake grabbed her around the waist. She twisted and bucked in his grip, but he refused to release her as he pulled her along with him.
They stopped short at the sight of a crowd standing in the snow-covered street. Carrie and Reed stood at the front of the pack. Most held flashlights or camping lanterns, but what worried Stasi were the ones holding flaming torches.
Trev, Nick, and Jake immediately moved to stand in front of Stasi, Jazz, and Blair.
"Everything will be fine once you"re gone," Carrie shrieked, wild-eyed, her face a bright red.
"What in Hades-?" Two men suddenly threw a length of silver chain around Nick, halting his question. He hissed in pain and anger, his fangs fully extended as he pivoted to face his captors. His eyes glowed blood red and he looked ready to fight, but the silver was immediately sapping his strength.
"I told you silver was a vampire"s enemy," Reed crowed, raising an arm. His eyes glowed dark with triumph. "Just make sure it doesn"t slip off him. We can"t afford for him to get loose."
One man got too close and screamed in pain as Nick whipped around and buried his fangs in his arm, tearing brutally at the flesh. Nick howled in agony when another silver chain was looped tight around his throat and he was jerked backward. Fluff and Puff snarled and snapped at the people.
"You b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!" Jazz started forward with a fireball balanced above her palm.
"Extinguish it now or we will kill your freak lover," Reed warned with a snap in his voice that meant business. He moved forward with a wooden stake in his hand. Someone ran up and slapped a strip of duct tape across Nick"s mouth. The vampire"s body quivered with the killing fury racing through his body.
Jazz allowed the witchflame to die out, but she remained on guard, turning in a tight circle, watching the mob moving around them.
Stasi sensed the sudden dark shift in the air and knew what it meant. She looked up and watched the last vestiges of the moon swallowed up by the eclipse. Even the stars seemed to wink out, swallowed up by the flat black of the sky. "Darkness is here," she whispered.
"It"s all because of you! This isn"t the lunar eclipse the news talked about, this is all your doing," Carrie shrilled, stooping to pick up a stone and throwing it at Stasi"s head. Trev was quick enough to step in front of her, so the rock struck his shoulder instead.
"You all need to calm down!" he shouted, holding up his hands. His calm manner would normally have settled people down, but this mob was beyond listening.
"You chose your side, wizard," Reed said. "Carrie counted on you, and you abandoned her because you were so eager to spread a witch"s legs. You"re on their side and there"s only one way to deal with traitors."
Suddenly the crowd surged in and the three witches were grabbed from behind. Before they could react their hands were tied in front of them, and they found themselves being led through the town. When Blair stumbled she was almost dragged along until she clambered to her feet. She snarled at her captors, who only pulled harder on her bonds.
Stasi looked over her shoulder and tried to see what had become of Trev and Jake. She watched flames overtake the wooden building she and Blair had so lovingly tended. It was as if all the protective wards they had used to surround their businesses and home were never there. The pain stabbing her heart was so acute she almost fell to her knees and cried. She didn"t care about her merchandise, only the memories she had in there. As the roof collapsed and sparks flew upward, men remained close by to ensure the fire didn"t spread to the other buildings.
This isn"t the time for tears. You can"t break down now. Stasi dug down deep for her inner strength and remained on her feet as she was roughly pulled down the street. Memories from 1692 engulfed her. Her ears rang with the accusations from the ignorant pious who had no clue what evil truly was, the tortured pleas from the innocent, and the silence from the guilty. Because even if she didn"t deal in the black arts, she still would have been considered evil during that dark time and killed along with those who didn"t deserve an early death.
You need to conquer the past to heal the present.
Next time, The Librarian, give us something to work with!
She caught sight of Trev trying to reach them and heard his curses as two men tackled him to the ground. They rained their fists on him until he didn"t get up again. His face was covered with blood and his clothing was torn. She was surprised that he didn"t use his power to defend himself. She knew he could easily have leveled them all, yet he did nothing. And she knew he held back because of her, even though the result was a beating, because he knew she would not want him to destroy these townspeople who had been her friends. She stumbled and fell onto her knees. The shock and pain raced through her body as the rope around her wrists tightened, but she firmed her lips and refused to react as she made it back onto her feet.
"History said witches don"t feel pain." Carrie put her face in hers.
Stasi looked around and was stunned by the look of triumph on the face of Rhetta, Reed"s sister, and the bloodl.u.s.t glazing Poppy"s eyes. She saw Ginny with the same anger on her face and even Mrs. Benedict, who wouldn"t step on an ant, raise her arm in fury. She saw an epidemic of anger. Mob behavior.
"We know what to do with freaks like you!" Poppy screamed, finding a stone under the snow and throwing it at her, striking her temple.
Stasi momentarily saw stars, but she refused to wince at the pain crossing her forehead.
"I only tried your m.u.f.fins once, Poppy. I had heartburn for days. You use too much baking soda in them," Blair sneered. "You know what? I can"t see anyone eating your slop without you using spells to get them to buy them." She struggled against her captors to fight back when Poppy ran up and slapped her across the face so hard her ring cut Blair"s lip.
"Don"t antagonize them," Stasi ordered. "They love tormenting us."
"Who"s antagonizing anyone? I"m only speaking the truth. She couldn"t bake her way out of a paper bag." This time when Poppy reacted Blair was ready and bit her arm, even if it cost her a hard knock to the head.
It wasn"t until they were pulled to the town square where they saw three six-foot high posts erected in the center with piles of wood around each one that the enormity of what was about to happen struck them.
Trev stumbled forward, now tied as tightly as the witches. There was no sign of Jake, and Stasi felt queasy at what this mob might have done to him. Horror darkened Trev"s blue eyes as he stared at the sight before him.
"You can"t do this! This is nothing more than cold-blooded murder."
"Shut up. Your turn will be coming. Did you think we"d save you after you betrayed Carrie?" One man behind him hit him in the back of the head with a board.
"Trev!" Without thinking, Stasi started forward, only to be brought up short by the rough rope coiled around her hands. She felt it cut into her wrists, leaving them raw and bleeding, but that didn"t matter. People she once thought of as close friends had turned into enemies and were dragging her to her death. What hurt her most was that her friends, who were truly innocent in all of this, would die alongside her.
Chapter Twenty.
"You are defying your own laws!" Stasi shouted above the rabble. She could see by their wild eyes they wouldn"t listen or care, but she still had to try. She didn"t bother struggling against the rough hands holding her arms. She knew they welcomed the chance to hurt her further if she fought back. She refused to spill any tears or show fear as she, Blair, and Jazz were tied to the posts.
The tears were even harder to hold back as she saw the fury on Blair and Jazz"s faces as they faced their captors. The two witches looked ready to rain down fire on the entire town. The only reason they didn"t unleash their fury was because they knew the mortals were under a widespread spell that played with their thoughts and emotions. Even if the townspeople screamed murder, they were still innocents, and Blair and Jazz knew their code wouldn"t allow them to harm them with their magick.
Stasi looked over the heads of the mob toward where a bloodied Trev lay motionless on the ground. She felt tears choking her throat, but she found the strength to swallow them before they fell.
I don"t know if I can be brave. When it happened before, I hid. I protected myself and did nothing.
The metallic taste of fear flooded her mouth. She took several deep calming breaths in hopes her heart would remain in her body and not pound its way out.
Nick no longer struggled against the silver chains that restrained him. His fangs had fully extended, easily slicing through the duct tape and his eyes glowed a deep blood red. He may have been silenced, but his expression said it all; retribution would be strong and harsh once he found a way to free himself. No one would survive his wrath. Stasi knew the chains had to have been burning his skin with a painful intensity, but his gaze didn"t veer from Jazz"s face.