Witch in the Attic Claudy Conn-First2 Page 3

  His chest was hard muscle, and my hand continued to stray a bit before I got control and dropped it to my side. I said on a whisper, “My, you must work out a great deal.” What? Was that me talking? I don’t talk like that!

  “I do,” he answered.

  I mentally slapped myself and got back on track. “Okay, your space… my space, learn the difference, and maintain the spaces.”

  “As you wish, Dilly,” he said softly. “But your body vibes tell me you wish otherwise.”

  “Oh yeah, you don’t know a thing about me, or what my body vibes mean. So back off,” I answered. Well, look at me, being all stoic and tough again.

  Hands up in the air and a boyish grin that melted my knees and turned my resolve into porridge, which I so don’t eat. Not big on cereals, hot or cold, but he was hot, and he wasn’t cereal. I was doing it again.

  “I beg your pardon,” he said.

  He begs my pardon? Who talks like that? A prince. A prince talks like that.

  What he did then was take another good whiff of the air, much like a Shifter, and I put my hands on my hips and objected with a good old fashioned, “Hey!”

  “Vanilla and lavender,” he said. “You are a Rucker witch, you should smell of honeysuckle.”

  “Rucker is the name of my coven and my realm. It isn’t my family name. My family name is Crescent. Dilly Crescent. So now, tell me what you are. I know, I know,” I waved off his obvious response, “you are a prince, but of what realm?” There I was, the Dilly I knew and understood, back in control.

  “I have already told you…” He stopped suddenly and stood still before he totally vanished, as though he had only been a product of my imagination.

  Poof, and he was gone. What was this guy? How could he move like that?

  I can whip up a purple smoke that will transport me short distances, but this Prince Kallem person just simply vanished. If he was using magic, it didn’t leave a scent, at least none that I could immediately detect.

  Then I heard voices and knew why Mr. Big Guy took off. The witches were back.

  I hurried up the stairs to the attic and leaned my back against the door.

  Below, I heard them speaking and took a chance to open the door a crack.

  “I’m telling you, I can smell it—power all over the kitchen, two different kinds of power,” a woman’s voice said.

  “I don’t smell anything,” a youthful male voice complained. “And where are my Gourmet cookies? Sassy… my cookies?”

  “Your cookies? Well, I didn’t eat them. Huh? Never mind the cookies now, Jeeves honey. We have to find the chalice.”

  I sensed her strength as she swept a load full of magic scanning through the house. “Okay, not liking this. I know I left it in the kitchen. At least, I think I did. Damn, what the hell is going on? I don’t like this, Jeeves honey.”

  “My cookies and the chalice?” Jeeves complained. “This is very odd, Sassy. We need to do something immediately.”

  “You probably misplaced the cookies, Jeeves baby, and maybe we left the chalice at your house?” Sassy said. She clucked her tongue. “I just can’t remember, but you are right. Something is odd… I get a sense of… power, not ours. Never mind, come on. We don’t have time now to look for it. We have to go tell Zelda and Mac.” I heard her open the fridge and she said, “Here, take Zelda’s cookie dough. We’ll munch on it on the way to the meeting.”

  “I suppose that will have to do, but this…” he said, and I imagined him waving the cookie dough around, “doesn’t come close to my Gourmet cookies, and I like when you call me baby.”

  I heard the Sassy female make some odd noises that had me picturing the two locked in an embrace, and then I heard her talking.

  “Kiss me like that, Shifter, and I’ll call you anything you like.”

  “It occurs to me, Sassy, that we should make an attempt to figure out who was here. They may have taken the chalice,” Jeeves said.

  I immediately laid on a heavy spell around it. The Chalice of Donai was better left in my keeping ‘til I figured out what the bam slam heck I was going to do.

  “Okay, okay, cool. I’ll try a spell,” Sassy said.

  Yeah, right, I thought. Try getting through my magic.

  “Jeeves baby, I can’t find a trace of the chalice in the house, and my magic doesn’t zero in on anyone. It is like the chalice never existed and whatever aura we are experiencing must be our own. I don’t have any other explanation. Zelda isn’t going to like this.”

  “The chalice left just as it appeared. If the house hadn’t been destroyed and rebuilt, perhaps we never would have found it in the basement,” Jeeves said thoughtfully. “Perhaps it returned itself to its rightful owner.”

  “How could it do that?” Sassy muttered worriedly.

  “Some relics have untold abilities. At any rate, I am certain we did not take it to my house. This is a mystery… like my cookies,” Jeeves said.

  “Come on, we have to get to Zelda now.”

  A door banged closed and they were gone. I sank down with relief and ate the last of Jeeves’ Gourmet cookies. I twirled my finger and burnt the package to a crisp. Evidence gone.

  What the hell kind of insane asylum had Gramps pushed me into? Prince hunk showing up, witches and Shifters? Prophecies?

  “Dilly!” My prince was back, appearing suddenly out of nowhere and making me jump right off my ass so that my head hit the low corner ceiling beam.

  “This is no time for snacks,” princey boy said. “If you keep stealing their food, they will find you.”

  “You have to stop popping in on me like that!” I complained. “And ‘starving here’, witches need a great deal of food. No choice since I can’t go out shopping for groceries. Besides, you came with the intention of stealing the chalice.”

  “Not their chalice, remember? The chalice belongs to my family, but if I am going to be accused of being a thief, might as well be one,” he said. The next thing I knew, I was in his arms and his mouth had closed over mine.

  For a second, only a second, and because, let’s face it, I have never been kissed like that before, I let that delicious tongue of his swirl around with mine.

  When I remembered that he was a complete stranger, I pushed hard! He immediately released me.

  Silently berating myself, I told him with my finger flicking between us, “Space, remember? You have yours. I have mine, and you don’t get to invade mine without an invitation.”

  “That is why it is called stealing a kiss.” He grinned like a boy.

  That grin of his got to me. I don’t know why, but it did. It tickled something bright and shiny inside of me, something buried because of the war, then nearly destroyed because of my dad’s murder. For a moment in time, I felt like me again. But life had changed and I don’t have the will for ‘moments in time. ’

  “This isn’t funny,” I snapped at him. “I need information. I want to know what your real deal is, aside from tracking the chalice to this location. I have good instincts and they tell me there is more to this.”

  “Look, I have already told you, I came here to retrieve the chalice. Finding you was a bonus. I knew your grandfather had sent you through a portal, but I didn’t know where, just as I know he sent your mother in another direction and then vanished as well. That much I was able to conclude from my initial search. What I don’t know is where he or your mother are, just as I didn’t know where you were, although I had a notion he had sent you here to the Human Realm.”

  “How do you know all these things?”

  He chuckled. “Suffice it to say, I just do.”

  “Arrogant son-of-a bitch!”

  He pulled me close again and I don’t know what was wrong with me because I felt a flutter of desire. Did I say flutter? How about a tornado of desire. Yup. There it was, heat swirling around in my brain, turning better judgment into ash.

  More heat scurrying through my blood screaming at me to kiss him, touch him, lay him down and have my way w
ith him.

  What?

  This was crazy. I had to get a hold of myself.

  I gave him a dark frown and felt it vanish when his silver eyes twinkled. I fancied I saw iridescent lights in their centers.

  I pushed off his very fine broad chest, regretting the cool air that came between us.

  But I needed to get answers.

  He grinned and said, “Arrogant son-of-a-bitch? I assure you, I am neither of those things. Why do you think that of me?”

  He seemed truly puzzled.

  I sucked in air. Oh, he was good, really good. I tried another avenue. “Okay, Prince Kallem.” I spread my hands wide. “You say you are a prince… of where?” Reasonable question, I thought.

  “That doesn’t matter. What does… is that we keep you out of Morlan’s greedy hands. Your grandfather took the first step by sending you here.”

  “You don’t think I am hiding out in an attic while my coven needs me? I am only here temporarily until I can figure out a way to get back and help my coven.”

  “You need to keep yourself out of Morlan’s sights,” he said on a hard note.

  “Yeah, I know. I think I can manage to keep myself from being used to open the chamber,” I muttered.

  “Look, you don’t understand,” he said impatiently. “What happens on Rucker now, happens to all of us. We are three realms, all connected. Yours, mine, and the Human Realm.”

  “What does that mean? We are all connected? How?”

  “Long story and right now, we don’t have the time,” he said impatiently.

  “Connected, how?” I am tenacious.

  “Short version, little witch, is the fact that Dark Magic when used to kill indiscriminately, will feed on the blood. It will rip up the atmosphere, erupt the soil, confound nature, and in the end, tear apart the Rucker Realm. In so doing, a chain of explosions will occur that could destroy the Human Realm and as we are connected to the Human Realm, we don’t intend on letting that happen, interference clause or no.”

  I stared at him, uncertain what to ask next because I had so many damn questions and all of them were paramount and needed answers.

  He threw up his hands. “Didn’t your grandfather tell you anything about your heritage?”

  “Well… I know that he and the Founding Fathers gathered up all the immortal witches and warlocks and created a portal to a new realm to escape persecution in their own realm,” I said. This was standard and taught to all of us growing up.

  “That’s it? That’s all you know?” he asked, and his tone was incredulous. “Look, I don’t have time to give you a history lesson. Your grandfather will have to do that, but know this, blatant use of Dark Magic will destroy three realms. That is the long and the short of it. As this directly affects our world, the queens have decided to allow us to become… er… involved. You are my mission, and I hope to guide you in your future decisions.”

  “I don’t know what you are, but you guys sound pretty powerful. You said ‘queens’… you have more than one?”

  “In a manner of speaking,” he answered cautiously.

  “Look, why don’t you just finish off Morlan? That would tie things up neatly.” I studied his reaction, which was rueful.

  “As I said, we don’t interfere on a large scale and we are not assassins.”

  “So, you would stand by and let him win… use Dark Magic until he does what you say you don’t want to happen, destroy three realms?”

  “It is not only Morlan. The Mandrinis Coven is comprised of several warlocks we consider a filthy lot, without ethics. However, short of allowing the balance of our Universe to be disrupted, we would maintain our law, which is never to directly interfere. Unless of course, you make the wrong decisions and he manages to use you to open the chamber. Then we would step in,” he said on a frown.

  “Yeah, well, then it might be too late…” I suggested with one of my ‘looks. ’ I have several. My dad used to… used to (I will never hear him tease me again) call me a ‘drama queen’ because of my attending expressions. I like to make a point. I like to use body language. I don’t want any doubts.

  Princey considered this and said, “Agreed, I am for stepping in sooner. For one thing, I like you, little witch, and I don’t think I can allow Morlan to get close enough to get his hands on you.”

  “Sounds good to me. Now, how do we get out of here and do something about Morlan and his gang?”

  He frowned. “Don’t misunderstand me. I said I mean to keep you safe, not help you go into battle. I will give you just enough aid to help you make the right decisions, and I will watch your back, but not letting you step out into the open. Are we clear?”

  “No, we aren’t clear,” I answered. “What do you mean help me make the right decisions? Are you so all-knowing that you can presume to know what the right decisions for me are?”

  He smiled. “Let me explain. No, I am not all-knowing, but some things are obvious. We don’t know, nor can we see the future. We can predict possible outcomes to various events, but we have no way of knowing exactly what the future holds. I, however, have made a decision and that is to align myself with you so that I may lend some protection to you. I believe the Ruckers are the better choice to rule your world, with your grandfather continuing at the helm.”

  “This is all bullshit. How can you stand by and allow thousands of people to be killed in a Magical Civil War? How can you?” I shouted. “I can’t. I will leave this attic and I will use whatever new abilities I have to help my coven.”

  “You will walk into his trap. Think, Dilly. Your grandfather sent you off for a reason. He is wise and knows what he is doing.”

  I paced. “He didn’t mean for me to stay here forever. How could he?”

  “I am certain he has a plan. I mean to watch over you while he waits for the right moment to institute it.”

  “Well, what if I don’t want your help?”

  “You are a strange female,” he said. “How can you be so brilliant of face and form and be so contrarily dim-witted?”

  I lifted my foot with every intention of getting physical.

  He was too quick and jumped out of the way.

  I wagged a finger at him.” I. Am. Not. Dim. Witted.”

  He laughed. “What you are—is exquisite.”

  He said this with a low growl in his throat that was so incredibly sensuous, I felt my mouth open and my tongue lick my bottom lip.

  He reached out and took a long strand of my hair, his voice, still low, still primal as he said, “Ah, little witch… do you know how your black hair glitters? It is like our midnight sky, full of light, and quite fascinates me.” He released a long strand of hair and his large hand slid down my bare arm as he stepped in closer.” Has no one ever told you how you slay with your aqua blue eyes? How you take a male to a place where he wants to bed you and put your pleasure first. I want to hear your voice when that happens, then please you again and again.” He stepped back and away from me and ran his hand over his slicked back, dark blond hair.” You distract me from my goals. But I have made you my mission, and I will work to help your success.”

  “Ah…” I said, lost in the scenario he had just conjured up for me.

  He frowned. “Why would you not want that help?”

  Think Dilly, think now. Talk about something other than the fact that he wants to please you and you want him to do just that.

  “Um… your queen. What did you say about your queen? Aren’t you going to be in deep shit if you help me? Isn’t that against the rules?”

  He laughed. “Probably, but that won’t be anything new. Tell me, though. How is such a young woman, as yourself, the key to the Chamber of Dark Spells?”

  “The reason for that… is when Morlan murdered my father, I inherited the key.”

  He hesitated before he spoke and then slowly told me, “Dilly, forgive me. I should have realized at once that you were grieving. It all makes sense now.”

  “Amazing. Is there something you actua
lly didn’t know? You seem to know so much,” I said irritably. This guy got to me. He just did and I didn’t want that. Timing was all wrong. I was mourning the loss of my dad. I didn’t want romance—that seemed somehow disloyal at the moment. Me going off enjoying myself. How could I do that? So, I know, I was defensive.

  He stepped in closer, I got a whiff of his scent without even trying. Pine and spice, oh my, he smelled so good. He said, “Dilly, your eyes tell a story. They are so full with emotion. You look with open inquiry, yet you don’t see. You do not recognize, in my directness, the honesty I have presented to you, and instead, treat me as an enemy. I am not, in fact, I offer friendship.”

  “There you go again, speaking in that formal way, as though you are from another century,” I said. I tried to figure out what he was and how if his world was tied to mine, why I hadn’t been taught this in witchy school. Never taught a thing about three connected realms. Shouldn’t we have learned about this in our school, shouldn’t my parents have told me? So, I wasn’t sure I believed him. What if he was actually working to help Morlan?

  “From another century?” He gave me a quirky smile.” In a manner of speaking, I am. You see, I am a thousand years older than you, although a youth amongst my own,” he answered, and took my hand. “I must go. My queen calls and I don’t want her to know I have been here.”

  Whoosh, and he was gone.

  His queen calls?

  Where? How? In his head? He had a link to his queen in his head? Who was this prince?

  I stood for a moment, locked on his last statement. A thousand years old? He was a thousand years old? What did that mean? It was common in my world to date and marry someone older because immortal witches don’t always breed well, and our colony was established sporadically. But… a thousand years old?

  I had seen something in his silver eyes—something that spoke of serious age, but this momentarily threw me.

  My parents had only been a couple of hundred years old. I was only twenty years old and this started me thinking about Rucker and its connected realms. How had this happened without anyone ever talking about it? Did anyone even know?