Chapter 13
Sammy
I didn’t get embarrassed easily, and when I did, it royally pissed me off. No way was I going to see Blaze until I’d cooled off a bit and he’d had time to forget what a mortifying moment it had been.
Vulnerability wasn’t an emotion I was familiar with. Once I was banished from the coven and set out on my own, I’d done everything in my considerable power to keep myself from being vulnerable.
Plus, I was still reeling over the fact that there was a prophecy about me and there were still other coven members out there.
What that meant for me? I had no idea. Leading a coven sounded like a job for someone with better people skills.
I was not the best with what they called the bedside manner. Not at all.
Olivia had information I needed, so I’d called ahead, a sign of respect I rarely afforded… well, anyone.
So, when I popped into her living room, Olivia was already ready for me. She had tea laid out and waited patiently in a small rocking chair. “Welcome,” she said. “Please, sit.”
I planted myself on her sofa and picked up the teacup. “This smells great,” I murmured as I took a sip.
It was delicious. But I wasn’t there for tea. “Thank you for the tea.” I smiled at her as kindly as I could muster. “Were you able to find anything?”
Olivia stood and walked around the sofa, returning with a cardboard box. “This is all I have. I went back after we were sure Livvie was safe, and this was all I could salvage from the remains.”
She set the box in my lap and moved back to her rocking chair. “Go through it. See if anything is familiar to you.”
With a sigh, and a surprising amount of reluctance, I started going through the stuff.
My heart ached as I pulled out a singed spell book, what looked like a prayer cloth, and a handful of crystals.
“What was life like in the coven, after I left?” I asked as I fingered one of the crystals.
If I’d been able to stay, maybe I could’ve kept them all safe.
I might’ve been powerful enough that they’d still be alive.
Coulda, shoulda, woulda. It wasn’t like I had much choice. I’d been forced out. This wasn’t on my head. It was on Joan’s.
“There were many who weren’t too sure about Joan and her capabilities of leading,” Olivia said. “She became stricter on the coven the more paranoid she became. She started to get freaked out about being replaced.”
She kept telling me about how insane Joan got as I went through the objects in the box.
Then, at the bottom of the box, I ran my finger along a large, emerald-colored stone.
A rush washed over me. Closing my eyes, I dove into a memory of Joan and Leonard speaking.
“Find Sammy.” Leonard’s voice echoed through my mind.
He was furious. “You owe me a witch, and a good one.”
Joan put her hand on Leonard’s chest and made a shushing sound. “I came to tell you about a witch that was born into our coven. She’s powerful, Leonard. Very powerful. Possibly more than Sammy.”
Leonard narrowed his eyes and put his hand over Joan’s on his pec. “Tell me more.”
She leaned closer, practically purring. “When she’s of age and comes into her full power, she’s all yours, Leonard. I promise.”
Bile rose in my gut at the idea of Joan basically selling Livvie off. We’d known she’d done it but knowing it was a far cry from seeing it.
But the stone gave me what I needed. I pulled myself out of the memory and blinked. “This worked.”
Olivia peered at the stone. “That was from Joan’s high priestess headdress.”
I palmed the stone and grinned. “It’s enough for a location spell.”
“Can I help? I’d love to lend a hand in stopping this woman.”
She was sweet, but this was something I had to do on my own. “I appreciate the offer,” I said as I began planning my moves. “But I think I need to do this on my own.”
Olivia gave me a long look. “I know you can do it on your own. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should. You’ve been alone for so long; you don’t know how to accept help.”
My heart sank. She was right. And if I was going to run a coven someday, I had to be able to work with other witches, even when I didn’t have to.
It wasn’t always about what I needed. Maybe Olivia needed to help, to have a hand in bringing Joan down.
I inclined my head. “Okay, yeah. I’ll let you know when the spell is ready.”
She sighed and pursed her lips at me in a sad smile. “I think you understand, don’t you?”
Nodding, I did something very out of character for me. I took Olivia’s hand. “Yes. And if Livvie wants to be a part of it, I think that would be totally appropriate, although with her being pregnant…”
Olivia nodded. “I agree. I’ll try to talk her out of it.”
“Okay. I’m off. As soon as I have a plan, I’ll be in touch.” With a long look at the other items in the box, I took the stone and went home. As soon as I appeared in my bedroom, I knew Blaze was in my house.
Damn it! Only one person knew where I lived because I had it severely warded so that only someone with the password could get in. The code had to be given to a specific tree. And only Anthony had it.
Stomping through the house, I entered the living room and glared at Blaze, all kicked back on my sofa.
“Your house looks like it belongs to a princess, not a witch.” He grinned. “Major fairy tale vibes.”
“How did you even get here?” As if I didn’t know.
“Anthony told me the password.”
I set the green stone carefully on the bookshelf in the corner, then glared at Blaze. “I don’t lock my doors.”
He grinned and spread his arms. “I noticed.”
Why was he so cute while being exasperating? “I don’t lock my door because there is no chance of anyone getting in here without me knowing. None. Nada.”
“Well, I’m not just anyone, right?” He winked.
Damn him. Damn! He was not just anyone.
Blaze jumped to his feet and looked around the living room. “This really wasn’t what I expected at all.”
I totally ignored him. He could explore all he wanted and make assumptions about what my living room should or shouldn’t look like, but here we were. It was what it was.
With a sigh, I plopped down onto my armchair and glared at him. When he finished browsing my stuff, I stared at him expectantly. “What are you doing here?”
“It felt off being at Anthony’s. Wrong. With the truth of what and who I am coming to light, I just don’t feel like myself, or like I belong in any certain place. I’m not sure what to do with myself.”
I sighed and took pity on him. I knew exactly how that felt.
He’d seemed okay the day before, but I had a sneaking suspicion that had all been for show.
“It really bothers me that I can’t remember anything, yet at the same time it might be best that I don’t remember at all.”
The pain in his voice drew me closer. “I understand. And you don’t have to ever find out if you don’t want to. It won’t change who you are today.”
He looked up at me with pain-filled eyes. “Isn’t that selfish?” I shook my head, about to tell him no, but he kept talking. “I should want to remember my parents, shouldn’t I?”
I remembered his parents. If I were being honest, those were memories I’d try to take away from any child. Knox had come to Anthony’s dad on more than one occasion when his dad would hurt his mom. “There are some things better left forgotten. I don’t blame you at all for not wanting to know.”
He smiled at me, grateful. “Thanks for not making me feel bad about it.” He wriggled in his seat a bit and the energy that signaled to me that he needed to shift filled the room.
“Would you like to see my garden?” I asked.
Blaze nodded gratefully and jumped up. “Sure, yeah.”
I led him through the house and out the back door. I was happy for him to see all the work I’d done on my garden.
“Whoa,” he said. “This really is like a fairy tale.”
I snickered and looked around, trying to see it with fresh eyes. It was pretty cool.
“Again, you’re so much more than I expected,” he said. His smile warmed me and now his gaze was full of admiration.
Sticking my nose in the air, I pretended to be unfazed, but then I remembered I was going to try to be less closed off. Sucking in a deep breath, I steadied my nerves and smiled back. “Thank you,” I said softly.
When he turned to face me with his smile on full wattage, I could’ve sworn my knees shook a little bit. Damn.
He seemed to sober up a bit. “I’m sorry for the way I blew up at you when the truth about who I was came out.”
“You already apologized for that.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, but I want to make sure you know I mean it.”
“The situation was intense. I won’t hold it against you long-term.
” I hesitated, then added an apology of my own.
“I want to make sure you understand I’d never use magic on you, especially manipulative magic.
” I was referring to his comment that I’d used a love spell on him.
“I’m not above using magic to prove a point, but I’d never try to manipulate your feelings like that. ”
Blaze stuck his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet. “I know. I know damn well this is real. I’m really sorry I tried to accuse you of doing a love potion.”
“I forgive you,” I said simply.
It got a little awkward between us then, but my stomach broke the ice by growling loudly, making both of us burst out laughing. “Come in,” I said. “I’ve got a soup in the slow cooker. Simple, but yummy.”
We went to the kitchen, where he continued to look around like I’d amazed him, and I dished up a couple of bowls of the taco soup.
As Blaze ate, I was stuck somewhere between proud and aroused at the sounds he made. “The veggies all came from the garden.”
“Yeah, you were right about fresh vegetables tasting better,” he said around a half-full mouth of soup.
“Tell me about you,” he said as he scooped up another bite.
That was a subject I didn’t want to delve too deeply into right at the moment. “Um, there isn’t too much to share. Pretty much I spend my time in my garden or meddling in the clan’s affairs. Trying to get those stubborn lizards to see sense is a full-time job.”
He took another bite and watched me. He wanted more.
“Let’s see. Before I came to Bluewater, I wandered a bit.
I spent a lot of time in nature and questioning my existence.
” I stirred my soup and tried not to get too morose.
“They were dark times. I was actually worried I’d turn dark.
Having no coven or tether can send a witch over the edge. ”
“What changed it for you?” he asked.
“I had a vision of Bluewater.” Warmth spread in my heart just thinking about how hopeful that one little vision had made me.
“I thought it was because of Anthony and this clan, but now I have to wonder if it was because of you, too.” I took a mouthful of soup.
He was right, it was pretty damn good. “I don’t believe in coincidences. ”
Blaze set his spoon down and took my hand. “I’m glad you didn’t go dark. And whatever led you to Bluewater doesn’t matter. I’m just glad it did.”