him deeper than any Knight’s blade ever had. Ignoring the slight as best he could, he began to pace. It gave his wild half something to do.
“You’re a shapeshifting witch. It’s very different. Real werewolves are crueler and have to fight off craving human flesh.”
“Oh Goddess,” she said, bending down and taking in deep gulps of air. “I couldn’t.”
He shook his head and steadied her, grateful she at least accepted that much comfort.
“I said that’s actual lycanthropes. We’re different. We have to use a spell mixed with a totem in order to shift to our animal forms. It’s controlled. You might not remember all of the night before, but you wouldn’t hurt a human. Witches and warlocks who change are above that.”
“Says you! I did devour some chickens. I just…why would you be watching me?” she continued, squatting low and taking in deep breaths.
He crouched down beside her and rubbed slow circles on her back.
“You won’t hurt people, promise. Second, our kind––Wiccans––have been around for millennia but we have our enemies.”
“Enemies?”
He nodded and continued.
“The Knights Templar are dedicated to eliminating every last warlock and witch. The Magus Corps fights them, but we also find Wiccans out there who don’t know who they really are. At least you knew there was power in your family, that it was inherited in your line. That’s often far more than most witches.”
“I knew my grandmother had powers or was reputed too, and I knew I was a freak.”
Trent shook his head and stroked her hair back from her face. Those gorgeous doe eyes looked back at him, so full of trust and desperation. He hated himself for botching all of this so badly and causing her pain.
“Gifted, like me. Humans are scared of us. The Knights think we’re demonic, and they want us eliminated. The best thing we can do is find the ones born to this, initiate them, and keep them safe and trained in their abilities.”
“And how do you initiate? Is there some handbook? Do I go to a school? Maybe all I need is a sorting hat.”
Chuckling, Trent kept rubbing her back.
“You’re not Hermione Granger. Each of us is born to this life, and we draw our energy from nature in all its forms.”
“I can tell, hence my ability to become furry.”
“Not all of us. We can cast the most powerful of our spells communing with the Goddess and nature. If we’re drained from a huge incantation, going to spend time in the wild refuels us.”
“So just go and swim in a spring or hike a mountain and ready to go all Sabrina?” she countered and he noticed that at least her breathing had returned to normal. Perking up his hearing, Trent noted also that her heart was steady again, like a metronome. “That makes sense but…” She blushed then, went as red as a fire hydrant. “My grandmother…older Medicine People used to have other rituals to harness energy.”
He nodded. “Sexual union is the highest form of communing with nature. It’s why you started to inherit your abilities after your first boyfriend.”
“I never said that.”
“The dossier did.”
She shook her head and glared up at him with a fury he’d seen rarely before and often only in Templar eyes.
“Spying. What kind of perverts are you?”
“We’re not,” he said, standing and pacing again, taking long languid steps in order to burn off his energy. “This is who we are. The ultimate way to celebrate nature is sexual.”
“Are you here to have sex with me?”
“I’m here to tutor you. Each of us has our own affinities and spells that work. You didn’t even realize it, but you’ve even collected a familiar for yourself, an animal who serves only you.”
She grinned despite that and walked back toward Rainstone’s stall. Holding out her hand flat, Elaine widened her smile and let the horse snuffle at her palm.
“It’s Rainstone. I felt drawn to him the moment I saw him.”
“Yeah and mine,
“You’re a shapeshifting witch. It’s very different. Real werewolves are crueler and have to fight off craving human flesh.”
“Oh Goddess,” she said, bending down and taking in deep gulps of air. “I couldn’t.”
He shook his head and steadied her, grateful she at least accepted that much comfort.
“I said that’s actual lycanthropes. We’re different. We have to use a spell mixed with a totem in order to shift to our animal forms. It’s controlled. You might not remember all of the night before, but you wouldn’t hurt a human. Witches and warlocks who change are above that.”
“Says you! I did devour some chickens. I just…why would you be watching me?” she continued, squatting low and taking in deep breaths.
He crouched down beside her and rubbed slow circles on her back.
“You won’t hurt people, promise. Second, our kind––Wiccans––have been around for millennia but we have our enemies.”
“Enemies?”
He nodded and continued.
“The Knights Templar are dedicated to eliminating every last warlock and witch. The Magus Corps fights them, but we also find Wiccans out there who don’t know who they really are. At least you knew there was power in your family, that it was inherited in your line. That’s often far more than most witches.”
“I knew my grandmother had powers or was reputed too, and I knew I was a freak.”
Trent shook his head and stroked her hair back from her face. Those gorgeous doe eyes looked back at him, so full of trust and desperation. He hated himself for botching all of this so badly and causing her pain.
“Gifted, like me. Humans are scared of us. The Knights think we’re demonic, and they want us eliminated. The best thing we can do is find the ones born to this, initiate them, and keep them safe and trained in their abilities.”
“And how do you initiate? Is there some handbook? Do I go to a school? Maybe all I need is a sorting hat.”
Chuckling, Trent kept rubbing her back.
“You’re not Hermione Granger. Each of us is born to this life, and we draw our energy from nature in all its forms.”
“I can tell, hence my ability to become furry.”
“Not all of us. We can cast the most powerful of our spells communing with the Goddess and nature. If we’re drained from a huge incantation, going to spend time in the wild refuels us.”
“So just go and swim in a spring or hike a mountain and ready to go all Sabrina?” she countered and he noticed that at least her breathing had returned to normal. Perking up his hearing, Trent noted also that her heart was steady again, like a metronome. “That makes sense but…” She blushed then, went as red as a fire hydrant. “My grandmother…older Medicine People used to have other rituals to harness energy.”
He nodded. “Sexual union is the highest form of communing with nature. It’s why you started to inherit your abilities after your first boyfriend.”
“I never said that.”
“The dossier did.”
She shook her head and glared up at him with a fury he’d seen rarely before and often only in Templar eyes.
“Spying. What kind of perverts are you?”
“We’re not,” he said, standing and pacing again, taking long languid steps in order to burn off his energy. “This is who we are. The ultimate way to celebrate nature is sexual.”
“Are you here to have sex with me?”
“I’m here to tutor you. Each of us has our own affinities and spells that work. You didn’t even realize it, but you’ve even collected a familiar for yourself, an animal who serves only you.”
She grinned despite that and walked back toward Rainstone’s stall. Holding out her hand flat, Elaine widened her smile and let the horse snuffle at her palm.
“It’s Rainstone. I felt drawn to him the moment I saw him.”
“Yeah and mine,
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