Half Past the Witching Hour (Paranormal Personnel Saga #3) (8 page)

‘So you are following me now or something?’ I asked, placing my hands on my hips. Tron had on a similar style old school suit like last time.

‘Julia, I know that you feel slightly overwhelmed with me being in your home, but I couldn’t leave you alone, especially now,’ Tron said, stroking his white moustache.

‘Right?’ I asked confused. ‘I thought that you said that I don’t have to worry about blackouts.’

‘You need to practise. I know that you didn’t follow my orders to stay away from any intense emotions. I can feel your unsettled power surging through this apartment. I knew that I had to see you today,’ Tron explained.

‘I feel fine, maybe drained a little, but I’m sure that I can handle this,’ I assured him.

‘Julia, stop lying. It’s obvious that something triggered your energy.’

‘How did you know where I live?’ I asked. ‘You could have called me, like the last time.’

‘I didn’t want to waste any valuable time. You live alone, Miss Taylor. I was aware that you wouldn’t be disturbed in your own home.’

‘Fine, take a seat. Let me put some clothes on and we can start,’ I agreed, giving up on arguments. I vanished into the bedroom, wondering how many more surprise visits like that I should expect. Instead of getting aggravated with this idea, I slipped my underwear on and the rest of my clothes. It was better to get this over with, to know if I could deal with magic. At least I wouldn’t have to see him tomorrow.

‘I’m ready. Where do we start?’ I asked, getting back to the living room.

My elf teacher smiled, folding his fingers together. He probably didn’t expect me to be so agreeable.

‘We shall try with a few simple spells. I need to see if you can release any magic through spell casting,’ Tron suggested, with a nod. I thought that the whole training would be much more complex and he would have to take me somewhere away from human population. Grandma tried to teach me some spells, but I was always so distracted when I was around her. She kept saying that I just didn’t have talent for magic.

Tron produced three plain glasses from the kitchen and put them on the table. Then I was asked to sit down on my sofa and concentrate. I didn’t want to shatter his hopes again, but I knew that he was wasting his time.

‘Concentration is key,’ Tron muttered. ‘I want you to crack or simply smash one of the glasses.’

He looked so hopeful and eager for this to work, so I nodded. I focused on the middle glass thinking about the spell. My magic flew through my back, then my arms, curling up my toes. The usual warmth caused all the hair on the back of my neck to rise. My energy was inside me, floating through my blood stream, but at that point cracking a glass seemed like a difficult task.

Seconds passed by, then minutes, and I was ready to get up and reveal that I was useless, when I heard the crack from the small glass door that was attached to the TV stand. Tron turned his head, then looked at me.

I relaxed my shoulders moving them in slow motion. Then out of nowhere there was bright lightning outside. The sound of a thunderstorm followed after that, ringing in my head.

What is going on with me? I should be jumping up and down, thinking that I finally got my happy ever after.

A moment of silence passed as soon as the incident with thunder and lightning was over. I had no idea why Tron was so impressed. Outside, the dark sky was free from clouds and the forecaster hadn’t predicted any rain for the next couple of days, so I had no idea what just went on around here.

‘My God, this is unbelievable,” Tron muttered to himself.

‘Excuse me, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m still in the room. Care to explain, what is going on?’

‘Julia. I need you to answer some of my questions,’ Tron said. ‘How are you with more advance spells?’

I flushed, feeling like an idiot.

Rubbish like with any other part of magic.

‘None of my spells work,’ I said, embarrassed.

‘Can you move objects, make them obey you? Read people’s thoughts when you want?’

No, no, and not really.

His questions threw me a little off guard. There had been situations when my magic was useful, like when I was trying to protect someone, but I was never in control. It seemed like my magic led its own life. I kept wondering why he didn’t ask me this during our first meeting.

‘I can produce extremely dangerous protection spells if someone’s life is in danger. I can read thoughts but not all the time. It’s mainly when I get nervous, but that’s about it,’ I explained, rubbing my sweaty palms together. No one else had so many problems with magic like I did. My cousin Claudia was an excellent caster. However, even though Claudia was fantastic with magic, she’d been taken by a group of giants in the middle of the street. Someone had also tried to kidnap me last year, but somehow I’d managed to get away. But I had no idea if this had to do anything with my unsettled power.

‘All right. Personally I believe that you aren’t concentrating well enough. You let your magic dictate what to do. It only obeys you when someone threatens it,’ Tron explained. He was right again.

‘Fine, but that still doesn’t tell me what to do.’ I sighed. ‘Do you think I want to be a useless half elf that can’t even cast the simplest spell?’

‘Listen to your source. Magic is speaking to you, but you’re pushing it away. We would have to start meeting twice a week if you want to learn.’

It’s like he is reading my mind already.

‘Fine, I’ll do it. I’m fed up with being a loser and I’m scared to trust myself,’ I said, hesitating to say more. But Tron seemed to genuinely want to help me and he knew things that I’d hidden from others. ‘What if I’m cursed, what if my mother is going to die because of me?’

Tron shifted his weight to the side staring at me intensely.

‘Blackouts occur because you’re distracted. In the course of our meetings we will discover if your power pushed you into the murder. As I told you before, the curse doesn’t exist, you have to listen to your own energy. The visions might be a warning from other things that might be happening in your life. For now keep this to yourself. Blackouts might come at any moment and you need to be ready. Concentration is a key.’

‘Okay, but what if I blackout again? What if I go after someone?’

‘Stay away from distractions. That half vampire that you’re so attached to, well, he stirs up your emotions. Your magic responds to him more than anyone else.’

This time I couldn’t stop myself from blushing. Tron knew more about me than I even realised. How did he know that I’d met Nathaniel today?

‘I wasn’t planning to see him,’ I said, shrugging it off as if this wasn’t a big deal. ‘You don’t follow me, do you?’

‘No, but your thoughts about him give you away,’ Tron replied with a smile, mortifying me even further. ‘As I said before, paranormals are talking. I don’t want to tell you what to do, but being around him doesn’t help you keep your magic in place.’

He was right about my power and Nathaniel. As soon as I was near him explosive waves of power moved inside me, pulsing until we made love.

‘Yes, that’s true. Nathaniel only makes matter worse,’ I admitted.

‘That’s why we should see each other more often. At the moment your magic is receptive and exposed to his influence and you’re are not making it easier for yourself if you keep seeing him,” he said. “There is a simple spell that will help you to keep the darkness away. If you’re stressed or anxious, then concentrate on your power and repeat these words three times.
Quievit tua, et spiritum.
”

‘Quievit tua, et spiritum,’ I said.

‘Again,’

‘Quievit tua, et spiritum,’ I said over and over. My heartbeat had been erratic, but as soon as I repeated the formula a few times my pulse slowed down. The anxiety left my body, relaxing my muscles. Maybe he knew what he was doing after all.

I repeated the same words in my mind a few more times, memorising the phrase. I looked at Tron.

‘Thank you. I think… well, it worked,’

‘Remember to use this formula when you feel anxious or after experiencing strong emotions. That way you can protect yourself and people close to you.”

We exchanged few more comments and after our goodbyes Tron left, assuring me that our next lesson would be more intense. I looked out the window as he disappeared in a dark Mercedes. I kept thinking about this bizarre evening, wondering if Tron was right. Nathaniel had been back in London only a week or so and my blackouts started way before that. He wasn’t the cause, but he wasn’t helping me either.

Someone had broken into my apartment last year and Dad’s investigation didn’t go anywhere. Maybe whoever it was knew about my power, about what I was capable of? Tron was right. At the moment I was vulnerable but ready to fight with any obstacles that life put in front of me.

***

‘I want you to come with me somewhere,’ Kelsie said, a couple of weeks after my meeting with Tron. My shifter friend showed up in the office after five without an appointment. It wasn’t like she needed one, but I was in the middle of a very important report and couldn’t afford to get distracted. Since my last conversation with Tron, we’d met a few more times for practise sessions. Tron was right when he mentioned that those sessions were going to be very different from what I was used to. Physically and mentally I was completely worn out. He taught me a few protection spells. It took me a while to remember all the Latin phrases. I had a long way to go before I was able to use my power against anyone and grasp full defence mechanism of my magic, but I wanted to continue to learn. My mother seemed fine, although I kept popping in to see if she was all right. She was surprised seeing me more often than usual.

‘Go with you where?’ I asked, not taking my eyes off the computer screen.

‘I need to show up at that meeting with other shifters. I’ve been living in London for a while now and I haven’t even joined any shapeshifting community,’ Kelsie explained.

I saved my work on the screen and looked up at her, imagining us sitting on some cold wooden benches around a fire in the middle of nowhere.

‘Kel, darling, first of all, only half of my genes are magical and second, I’m not even a shifter. I don’t think I would be allowed in,’ I said, trying not to laugh.

My best friend rolled her eyes smiling at a vampire client, who was watching us from the far left corner, probably trying to fill an application form. ‘No, I can bring anyone I want. Besides, it’s just like a big social meeting with drinks. No one is going to shift or anything like that,’ she explained.

‘Okay, so when is this meeting?’

‘I don’t remember the name of the hotel, but I have everything written down. It’s on Thursday night.’

‘Maybe you should take a shifter. I might have plans with Quentin.’

The vampire who was sitting in the corner stopped writing and stared at Kelsie as if there was no one else in the office. To me, he looked like a total creep. Vampires weren’t too keen on shifters, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Kelsie had dated a vampire before.

‘I called him already. He said that you’re stressed and you need a night out with me.’

‘What? You called him?’ I asked, shaking my head. ‘You’re unbelievable.’

‘Whatever, he’s right. You’re working yourself to death. I’ll pick you up at six, okay?’

I shot her an irritated look and got back to my screen. Kelsie gave the vampire one of her flirtatious looks and left. He looked disappointed and shortly after that abandoned his registration forms. He strolled out of the office, mumbling something about another appointment.

Kate wasn’t working today. She was away in Newcastle, attending some witchy sabbath with her family. Kelsie had a day off and she apparently already made up her mind about me going with her to the meeting.

My evening shift rolled as normal. More vampires walked in after midnight searching for work. Alexandra and Sara were registering everyone who came through the door since Lucinda needed a new production staff.

Quentin picked me up at 5:00 a.m. when I left the office. When we were alone later that very early morning, I had a quick shower and then dived under the covers. He kissed my neck softly, wrapping himself around my body. He fitted in perfectly in my small apartment and for a moment I was lost with his soft lips. His kissing deepened, as his hands started moving over my body. My heart began to pound faster. Quentin was a skilled lover, he always took care of me, but he knew that I was exhausted, so his slow foreplay didn’t turn into our usual silky sex this time. I lay there hoping I could fall asleep, but my mind was racing again.

‘Julia.’

‘Hmm.’

‘I need to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me,’ he said. I didn’t like his tone of voice. Quentin sounded serious, and in the past few weeks I didn’t quite show him that I was committed or even trying to make an effort.

He was quiet for a long moment, and I thought that maybe he changed his mind about his question.

Then he whispered to my ear, ‘What do you think about moving in together?’

I didn’t move, unable to form any kind of reply. He probably felt my stiffening. Why didn’t I see this coming? Last I remembered I was still a woman, so I should have known if we were moving toward the stage of living together.

‘Move in together, as in
together
together?’ I asked, trying to sound natural, but I was failing miserably.

He laughed, kissing my neck.

What is going on with me? I should be jumping up and down, thinking that I finally got my happy ever after.

‘What? Do you think it’s too fast?’ he asked. I was planning to introduce him to my parents before we took the next step.

‘No, of course not. It’s great idea, but you can’t expect us to live with Gomez?’ I asked, imagining what my mother would say if I ran this idea by her.

Quentin laughed. ‘Gomez is harmless. We should at least look in to renting out something together. Your flat is too small and my house is too far from your work. It’s a perfect solution. If we get something bigger, then Gomez wouldn’t be a problem.’

‘I need some time to think about this. It’s a huge step.’

Quentin was crazy if he thought that I was ready to take Gomez under my wing. If we could find a big enough place with a garden, then maybe I’d consider him having a small space in the back of the house. I felt a little sad, because Quentin was making such an effort. I never expected anything like that from Nathaniel. He wanted me, but he was afraid to commit. I only lived in his apartment for a short while because my own had been burgled. I’d been deluded thinking that he would change, that we had a future together.

‘Of course, take as much time as you need. We don’t need to rush anything, but I’m falling for you,’ Quentin whispered. His voice brought warmth to my heart. I wanted to tell him that I was falling for him as well, but minutes passed and I didn’t say anything else. Shortly after that we both fell asleep, but I kept thinking about his proposition and wondering what was wrong with me.

When I woke up the next morning, Quentin wasn’t in bed. He left me a short note stating that he had a phone call from someone and he left earlier. I had a day off, so I wasted some time online, went to the gym, and cooked.

The next few days passed quickly. Quentin spent some time with me in the evenings, but he didn’t bring up his idea about moving in together again. I felt guilty that I’d brushed off our conversation without giving it more serious thought. He ordered me to go out on Friday with Kelsie. I knew that he was right. It’d been ages since I’d been out with the girls, and after doing some research about the shape-shifting community in London, I thought that Kelsie’s idea wasn’t that bad.

My best friend looked hot when she arrived in the taxi later that evening. Her smoky black hair was all curled up and she had on a tight navy dress. She looked sexy, with heavy eyeliner and killer heels. These days shifters and werewolves met in stylish hotels where they discussed politics and any problems that shifters faced living alongside standard human population. Kelsie mentioned that in more isolated villages, the meetings were usually held outside in the forests, away from humans.

‘Hey, girl, what’s up with you? Why do you look so miserable?’ she asked, as I climbed inside the taxi. It was a cold night. The temperatures were below freezing, but my best friend was only in a thin sexy dress.

‘Quentin wants to move in together,’ I said, knowing that she wouldn’t stop asking if I kept it quiet.

‘So? You should be happy then. He obviously wants to take this relationship on to the next stage.’

‘I know and I feel bad that I’m freaking out, but it’s too soon. We only just started going out,’ I protested, lying to myself that this was the only reason that I didn’t want to move forward.

‘Okay, maybe it’s too soon, but so what? When good honest men give us everything we are reluctant to take it, but when we’re surrounded by bastards we pretend that we want all or nothing.’

I was surprised that Kelsie came out with such a statement, but there was so much truth in what she said. Nathaniel was toxic, and when we were together I wanted all, even when he was giving me clear signals about his limits. Now Quentin was opening his heart for me and I was hesitating.