The Dutiful Witch (The Ward Witches) Read online

  The next morning, he woke up to Fiona's clock alarm. She didn't stir, so he shook her shoulder a bit. “Fiona? Do you need to get up?”

  “What time is it?”

  “Eight.”

  “Ugh. Yeah, I need to get up.” She turned those violet eyes on him and Seb gulped. When she planted a sleepy kiss on his cheek, he resisted the urge to toss her back onto her back and have his way with her.

  “What are your plans that made you get up so early?”

  “I've got a show to film today and a lot of herbs to bespell.”

  “What?”

  “That's what I do. I have a show on YouTube where I show witches how to supplement their strength with herbs and potions. Then I put spells on herbs, make potions, and sell them. I do amulets as well, but I don't put those on my show.”

  “I see. So you're kind of an internet celebrity?”

  She smiled. “I suppose you could say that. I get enough hits on my videos to more than pay the bills, and the herb and potion sales do even better.”

  “Good for you.”

  “But I expect we're going to need to take care of some legalities today, so I can wait to film and post until this afternoon or evening. I'm never late, but this is an exceptional day.”

  “Alright.”

  “What did you have planned for today?”

  “I'm sure you heard of the recent witch kidnappings, even being outside a coven.”

  “I did. It had made me decide to finally join a coven, and I was working on doing that when I met Melanie, then you.”

  “There are some who don't feel the same way. Some people, and even some covens' leaderships, don't believe that they happened at all. So now I'm trying to provide evidence upon evidence, but at the same time, we're still trying to piece together what the Dark Order was doing with the sacrifice and kidnap victims in the first place, how they are choosing their victims, and where they'll strike next. Then I'm dealing with the press and Melanie's constant PR campaign. Then I have to make sure the police are keeping us up to date with what they find from the kidnappers and that they have all the evidence we have about their crimes to keep them in jail.”

  Fiona paled, which was difficult since her skin was already so white. “Can I look at the evidence?”

  “Yeah, sure. What's on your mind?”

  “I may know why they're sacrificing witches.” She played with her hair. “I hope it's not what I think it is, and I really don't want to talk about it yet, but I might know.”

  “Anything is better than nothing. We can look at the evidence later. For now, let's find a place to get this relationship legal.”

  Seb's mind was reeling. What could she know? And how? After a quick internet search, they got dressed and took care of the paperwork. One thing his father had gotten passed through as law when the witch community came out was that a bonded marriage was exempt from a waiting period. Seb still didn't quite know how he managed that, but it was convenient for witches who didn't need the big ceremony because the marriage takes place in private.

  After that was taken care of, they went to a jeweler's.

  “I don't need a ring,” Fiona protested.

  “Yes, you do. I want to proclaim you as mine, and I want to spoil you. We're a pair now, and I intend to do right by you.” She seemed most uncomfortable with the spoiling her part of his plan.

  “Then I certainly have to get you one.”

  “I'd like that.”

  The jeweler looked on, amused, as Seb pushed Fiona towards expensive rings with big central diamonds and she pulled him back towards a plain band.

  “Come on, Fiona. I'm trying to spend some money on something that will matter to you.”

  She smiled. “OK, you're right. How about a compromise? I don't want a big diamond. Can we do some other stone?”

  “I can do that. How about an emerald?”

  “That will work.”

  They settled on a ring that was bigger, and pricier, than Fiona had wanted. She bought Seb a band with an emerald set in it so they'd match, and they both went home happy.

  “Now I'm sure you need to take care of things back at the Coven House,” she said perceptively as he checked his watch again.

  “Yeah. I left Justin in charge, and it worries me that it's noon and I haven't heard from him.”

  “That's probably a good sign.”

  “I hope so. I'm also worried he's taking time off from the infants to do my job. I'd still like to check and make sure everything's going smoothly.”

  “I've got to film my show, but I've got it all planned out, so it won't take me long. How about you drop me back at my apartment so I can take care of that while you deal with your responsibilities?”

  “I can do that. But I'd like you to also pack a bag with your necessities because I want you to move in with me at the Coven House.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. No matter what our agreements are, we're a married couple, and I want you to come live with me.”

  “Alright.” He was glad she capitulated on that one without much of a fight. He did want her to come live with him, though he still didn't know how she would fit into his life. He dropped her off and was back at the Coven House by one.

  Sure enough, nothing had gone to hell, and Seb even managed to avoid anyone but Justin. But as soon as Seb was back in his office/study, Justin came in to check on his brother. His twin pretended to sniff the air around Seb.

  “Smells like a woman.”

  Seb growled in good humor. “You know it was. I didn't have a whole lot of choice in shower supplies this morning.”

  “Which is why you forgot to change when you got back here? Ah, don't worry about it. Again, congratulations on your bond. I look forward to seeing some changes around here.”

  “Don't expect too much too soon.”

  “I'll ask more about that later,” Justin chuckled. “So you're bringing in another water witch to the family?”

  That stopped Seb cold. “She said she was an earth witch.”

  Justin looked curiously at his twin. “Your magic is flavored with hers now, and I know water magic when I see it. I've seen her around Melanie too. She's definitely a water witch.”

  Seb was extremely angry. His new wife had lied to him? Already? They'd barely even met, and she was already beginning with a major lie? “I think I need to have a talk with her.” Justin scooted out as Seb dialed Fiona's number.

  “Hey, Seb, is everything alright at your office?” She clearly didn't know he had caught her in a lie. “I'll be by soon. I've just got to do some editing on my film and some posting of product and video.”

  “Everything's alright here,” Seb started. “But what I'm hearing is that I'm bonded to a water witch, and here I thought you were an earth witch.”

  She was quiet for a full minute. “It's complicated.”

  “I don't see how something that fundamental can be complicated! You're either an earth witch or you're a water witch!”

  “Not necessarily. Your brother's right, I am a water witch. But I'm also an earth witch.”

  It was Seb's turn to be silent as he wracked his brains. “That's not possible.”

  “It is. Please, Seb, just trust me for now. I need to get this stuff on the web. I was hoping to stave off this conversation until I had seen your evidence on the Dark Order, but I see now that won't work.”

  “Are you a member of the Dark Order?” Seb was trying not to lose whatever sanity he had left.

  “No, I'm not. Besides, Dark Order members can't have bonds. Please, trust me. I'll be there soon.”

  “I guess I have no choice.”

  “I'll answer all your questions. I promise.”

  “You'd better,” he growled.

  Even after hanging up, Seb couldn't concentrate on work, so he went into the Coven House's basement gym and worked out. He would figure this out, he would. He'd been more angry, more frustrated, and more on edge about her than he had ever been before.

&
nbsp; Fiona had butterflies in her stomach as she drove over to the Coven House. Her post-production had been sloppier than usual, but she had to get to Seb before her omissions about her magic ruined her relationship before it really even started. She slipped into the Coven House, avoiding everyone in case they could feel Seb's magic on her. Fiona sought her husband's aura and followed it to a basement gymnasium, where he was furiously lifting weights. It wasn't the time to notice his sculpted muscles, but she noticed anyway. Then she cleared her throat loudly to get his attention.

  “Hello, Seb.”

  “Fiona.” He stood up, toweled the worst of the sweat off his face, and stalked towards her.

  “First, I want you to use your talents as an air witch to look into my magic. You'll see that I'm telling the truth and that I do have access to two types of magic.”

  She could feel him probing her, looking for evidence that she lied. She was disappointed that he didn't think to use his magic right away. He must be very used to doing things without magic, which was a shame. He probed for longer than necessary, trying to make sure what he saw was true.

  “How is that possible? You're right, you do have two types of magic in you. I don't understand.” Some of the bluster came out of his voice, replaced with... could that be concern?

  “I'll try to explain. But you have to be patient with me, I've never told anyone the whole story before, and I'm not totally sure how to go about it. First of all, the people who raised me weren't my biological parents, they were my aunt and uncle. My biological parents were both active members in the Dark Order, and, like most of the Order, were addicted to blood magic. As I'm sure you know, once you start, it's hard to stop because your natural magic stops working in you, and the blood magic is so much more powerful. Anyway, around the time I was born, the Order was experimenting with supplementing inborn magic abilities. No one who knows what kind of magic I was born with has told me, but within a few months of my birth, they used a sacrificial rite to give me another variation of magic. My adoptive parents claim that no one died in that rite, but I don't know if I believe it. My aunt and uncle had been looking for me since they found out about my existence. They caught up with my parents a few weeks after the experiment.”

  Fiona stopped. She needed to catch her breath and slow down. Seb took her hand in two of his. “Are you alright?”

  “Yes. I need to tell you.”

  “Do you need a break?”

  “No. If I take a break, it'll just be that hard to stop up again.” She put back on her story-telling voice to try to stop the flow of her broiling emotions, “So when my aunt and uncle caught up to my parents, they abducted me in the middle of the night. They knew they had to get away fast, and stay on alert in case the Order came after us. But I wasn't a normal baby. Because of what had happened to me, I was also addicted to blood magic, and the longer I went without it, the more uncontrollable I could be. My aunt and uncle managed a spell to break the hold the blood had on me. Since I was very young and still new to the whole thing, it worked. But magic has its cost, and my hair has been white and my eyes violet ever since. My new parents raised me as a fugitive from the Dark Order. We moved frequently, and I've never stayed in the same state for longer than eighteen months at a time.”

  “I'm sorry I doubted you.” It was more than Fiona had expected, and a tear leaked from her eye. “I assume you wanted to see the evidence to see if you could make a connection with what happened to you.”

  “Yes, exactly. I had probably been deluding myself, but I thought that if I ran far enough, I'd be safe. I didn't even think of the possibility that they would do that again.”

  “You can't think of everything. You were an infant, after all, when all this happened.” Seb pulled her towards him, and she went, despite his sweaty attire. Fiona was grateful as he wrapped his arms around her. “It'll be alright. Once you get calmed down enough to talk, we'll go over all the evidence. Anything you can tell us about what they may be doing, where, or why could help us stop them. Again, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I do apologize.”

  “No, I understand. I didn't tell you, though I meant to and soon, and there's no way you could have known. I can see why you'd be mad.”

  “Did you bring a bag?”

  “No. I was centered on the idea of telling you the truth that I forgot all about it.”

  “It's alright. Let me make a quick call, and we'll get you all cleaned up. You've got my sweat all over you.”

  That was when Fiona realized she had been crying, and there were tear stains down her cheeks. She was grateful that he didn't mention it. She tried to compose herself while Seb called Melanie and asked her to bring some clothes and such to the gym. He then went into the restroom and returned with a damp washcloth that he used on her face. Melanie wasn't long in getting there with clothes for both Seb and Fiona.

  “You're looking good,” Fiona told her friend.

  “Thanks to you. Also, congratulations on your bond.”

  “Thank you. Sorry about this.”

  “No worries. Now did Seb cause this distress? I'll kick his butt, even as I am now.”

  “It's not his fault, no. I appreciate the offer, though.”

  “I'll be upstairs.” Melanie winked. “Take your time.”

  Fiona and Seb parted as Seb went to take a shower and Fiona got dressed into Melanie's non-sweaty clothes. She worked to calm herself down while she waited for Seb and considered how to proceed with Justin.

  Soon Seb brought Fiona to Justin's office and listened as she recounted the story again, this time a lot less emotionally. He held her hand through the whole thing, determined to show her that he would support her. Seb didn't like thinking about how he had accused her with no proof. She was his wife, for better or for worse, and he needed to stand strong with her. He didn't want to end up in a destructive relationship like his parents', but if he didn't support her, he could easily end up just like them. That made his blood run cold.

  He became aware that Justin was calling his name and returned to paying attention. Fiona and Justin were going to go over pictures and papers recovered from where Melanie was kidnapped. To do that, they'd go to the ops room for Coven Protection. Seb went back to work in his office. He was stressed about Fiona, but he was able to concentrate enough to write again to the other coven leaders. He looked over some proposals from the National Coven accountant, and sent him a quick email promising a more detailed response the next day.

  He poked his head around the corner of Justin's office, and when he noticed that he and Fiona still weren't back, he headed into Boston. On the way, Seb dialed Melanie.

  “Good to hear from you. Is my husband still with Fiona?”

  “He seems to be. I called because I want your advice. I wanted to get something for Fiona, and I hoped you'd have an idea.”

  “Did you already get her a ring?”

  “Yeah. She wouldn't take a diamond, so I got her an emerald wedding ring.”

  “That sounds like the Fiona I know. So, are you looking for a more practical or a more romantic kind of gift?”

  “She seems like the kind of person who'd appreciate something more practical.”

  “I'd agree with you there. Well, I know that she has that internet show. I think she runs it off a mid-range webcam. I imagine that she would appreciate a fancier camera if you're looking to spend the money on one.”

  “You're right. That would be perfect. Thanks, Melanie.”

  “No problem. See you at dinner?”

  “Yeah, I'll be there.”

  Seb, taking Melanie's advice, walked into an electronics store and wished he had some kind of idea what camera would be good for her situation. Luckily, there was an over-eager employee who got him all set up with what should be a really nice camera. He got it gift-wrapped even. Before he went back to the house, he stopped and picked up a bundle of roses for her as well.

  Fiona and Justin were surprised when Melanie came to find them in Justin's office after th
ey got back from the ops room. The babies came along too, one on each arm.

  “I've got to talk to you, Fiona, and what I've got to say isn't something you're going to like.”

  “Then spill it quickly.”

  “As you know, the Coven has been more in the news in the past months than ever before. Seb's practically a celebrity, and that makes you a celebrity's wife. We're going to need to take certain measures to introduce you to the media in a positive way.”

  “I never even thought about being in the media.”

  “Well think about it now, because it's reality.”

  “What's your plan?”

  “I want to throw a big wedding shower here. Well, as big as I can manage in a week. It's got to be soon. We're going to get my reporter friend Tanya Yelman out here to interview you. I hope she'll be available tomorrow or the next day.”

  “That seems fast.”

  “I want to make sure we're in charge of your media image as soon as possible. I don't want people fabricating when they find out about you. There will be enough of that, believe me, but it'll be worse if we don't get the drop on them.”

  “I hate the media. I've been in hiding my entire life, and I've always avoided the spotlight like a plague.”

  “Then this is going to be hard for you, and for that I'm sorry. But this is the way it's got to be.”

  “We'll protect you from them,” Justin added.

  “If it has to be this way, then it does. But I don't like it.”

  Rose gurgled a little and Melanie's face turned tender at her baby. Fiona reached out, and Melanie passed Jasmine to her. Jasmine's little hand tried to wrap around Fiona's finger, and she laughed. Then Justin and Melanie laughed too, and it felt good to be part of the group. Being part of the group had never been part of Fiona's life, and it would take getting used to. But it would be nice to not always be isolated from other people.

  37

  CHAPTER THREE

  When Seb did get back to the Coven House, he found Fiona in Justin's office, laughing with him and Melanie. Fiona was bouncing one of the girls in her arms while Melanie cradled the other. He couldn't for the life of him tell them apart, but that skill should come soon.