T-shirt. Very bohemian.
“I don’t think you really want us to,” I said, trying to keep the defensiveness out of my tone. Regardless of being blasted off the porch, I needed to get these people to talk to me. “Chessandra sent me.”
The woman’s eyes dilated just like the first woman’s had. “Chessandra is not welcome here either.”
Distrust rippled through the air, and I could sense the magic building in her.
“Please,” I said, holding Kane behind me. His agitation bombarded me, causing my skin to prickle. One more magical outburst from these witches and he was going to lose his cool, if not physically then at least verbally. I needed him to dial it down a notch. If any of them were intuitives, they could read his defensive mood, and that wouldn’t help.
I gathered a tiny bit of my own calm energy and pressed it into the palm of his hand. He stirred behind me and let out a tiny grunt of displeasure when he realized what I’d done. Still, his rigid body relaxed slightly, and I knew my magic had done what I’d needed it to do.
“We need to talk to Dayla. It’s about Matisse,” I said to the witch.
Her pupils constricted slightly and the brilliant blue of her irises glowed, similar to Kane’s car. Whoa. These witches did have some weird powers.
“You know where Mati is?” There was hope shining through the skepticism swirling around her.
“I spoke with her this afternoon.” I clutched my arm to my T-shirt, trying to stop my blood from dripping on the pavement.
I was about to elaborate on where Mati was, but the witch asked, “Where?”
“She’s in another dimension.”
“Bring her to us immediately. Then we can talk.” She started to stride down the street toward the large Victorian house.
“Wait!” I let go of Kane and ran to catch up with her, wincing at the pain shooting down my arm. “I’m here for information and to help if that’s at all possible.”
She stilled and then turned slowly. Magic crackled around her. She pressed her hands together as if to keep her power contained.
I stopped and held my hands up. “We mean no harm. Honestly.”
She glanced at Kane’s car. “Your magic is strong.”
Was that a question? I assumed it was. “Yes. I’m a white witch. That—” I gestured to the car “—is because we ran into some trouble on the way here. I was only trying to protect us.” I frowned. “I don’t know why it’s glowing all of a sudden. It didn’t happen until after we were tossed off the porch.”
She studied me for a moment. Her eyes narrowed as she muttered under her breath and moved carefully past me to the Lexus. Placing a hand on the hood, she closed her eyes and said, “Release.”
The glow around the car shimmered brighter, flickered twice, and then rushed into her fingertips. She let out a loud gasp and clutched her chest with her other hand.
Unwelcome tendrils of energy crawled up my arms and grabbed on. I stepped back, clutching at my arms. “What the hell is happening?” I cried as the tendrils pinched and something vital was sucked right out of me. “Stop! Stop it!” I tried to call up my magic, but it only made it worse. Every bit of power I manifested was sucked away by the hold this witch seemed to have on me.
“Jade!” Kane called my name, but I couldn’t see him. My vision narrowed to the witch in front of me.
Her long, pale blond hair fanned out with what appeared to be static electricity. When the glow was gone, she pulled her hand away from the car and the hold on me evaporated.
My knees weakened as my head spun. If it hadn’t been for Kane, I could’ve collapsed right there in the street.
The other witch stared at me with wonder, her electric-blue eyes piercing me through the storm cloud shadows. “Wow. You weren’t exaggerating.”
I blinked, rapidly trying to focus.
“What did you do to her?” Kane demanded, anger streaming from him. It wrapped around me and made it hard to breathe.
“Kane,” I said
“I don’t think you really want us to,” I said, trying to keep the defensiveness out of my tone. Regardless of being blasted off the porch, I needed to get these people to talk to me. “Chessandra sent me.”
The woman’s eyes dilated just like the first woman’s had. “Chessandra is not welcome here either.”
Distrust rippled through the air, and I could sense the magic building in her.
“Please,” I said, holding Kane behind me. His agitation bombarded me, causing my skin to prickle. One more magical outburst from these witches and he was going to lose his cool, if not physically then at least verbally. I needed him to dial it down a notch. If any of them were intuitives, they could read his defensive mood, and that wouldn’t help.
I gathered a tiny bit of my own calm energy and pressed it into the palm of his hand. He stirred behind me and let out a tiny grunt of displeasure when he realized what I’d done. Still, his rigid body relaxed slightly, and I knew my magic had done what I’d needed it to do.
“We need to talk to Dayla. It’s about Matisse,” I said to the witch.
Her pupils constricted slightly and the brilliant blue of her irises glowed, similar to Kane’s car. Whoa. These witches did have some weird powers.
“You know where Mati is?” There was hope shining through the skepticism swirling around her.
“I spoke with her this afternoon.” I clutched my arm to my T-shirt, trying to stop my blood from dripping on the pavement.
I was about to elaborate on where Mati was, but the witch asked, “Where?”
“She’s in another dimension.”
“Bring her to us immediately. Then we can talk.” She started to stride down the street toward the large Victorian house.
“Wait!” I let go of Kane and ran to catch up with her, wincing at the pain shooting down my arm. “I’m here for information and to help if that’s at all possible.”
She stilled and then turned slowly. Magic crackled around her. She pressed her hands together as if to keep her power contained.
I stopped and held my hands up. “We mean no harm. Honestly.”
She glanced at Kane’s car. “Your magic is strong.”
Was that a question? I assumed it was. “Yes. I’m a white witch. That—” I gestured to the car “—is because we ran into some trouble on the way here. I was only trying to protect us.” I frowned. “I don’t know why it’s glowing all of a sudden. It didn’t happen until after we were tossed off the porch.”
She studied me for a moment. Her eyes narrowed as she muttered under her breath and moved carefully past me to the Lexus. Placing a hand on the hood, she closed her eyes and said, “Release.”
The glow around the car shimmered brighter, flickered twice, and then rushed into her fingertips. She let out a loud gasp and clutched her chest with her other hand.
Unwelcome tendrils of energy crawled up my arms and grabbed on. I stepped back, clutching at my arms. “What the hell is happening?” I cried as the tendrils pinched and something vital was sucked right out of me. “Stop! Stop it!” I tried to call up my magic, but it only made it worse. Every bit of power I manifested was sucked away by the hold this witch seemed to have on me.
“Jade!” Kane called my name, but I couldn’t see him. My vision narrowed to the witch in front of me.
Her long, pale blond hair fanned out with what appeared to be static electricity. When the glow was gone, she pulled her hand away from the car and the hold on me evaporated.
My knees weakened as my head spun. If it hadn’t been for Kane, I could’ve collapsed right there in the street.
The other witch stared at me with wonder, her electric-blue eyes piercing me through the storm cloud shadows. “Wow. You weren’t exaggerating.”
I blinked, rapidly trying to focus.
“What did you do to her?” Kane demanded, anger streaming from him. It wrapped around me and made it hard to breathe.
“Kane,” I said
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