Chapter 33
S am couldn’t stop thinking about Balthazar. Not only because of what had happened in the woods but because of the draw she felt to him. Something inside her felt as if it had clicked into place, as if she were suddenly at peace and settled. She would even dare to say she felt content. The fact he said he felt that too unnerved her in one way but excited her in another.
The problems he’d hinted at that they would face piqued her curiosity. What could possibly be more problematic than their supernatural statuses? What if she fell for him and something prevented them from being together? It would be a waste of her time and would break her heart. He seemed too good to be true right now and usually when something seemed too good to be true, it was always that way.
His words had left somewhat of a taint on the rest of the day, she couldn’t deny that. He’d taken her into town for a milkshake after their kiss, but he’d seemed distant and lost to his thoughts, his smiles not reaching his eyes, and his mind wandering.
When he’d dropped her off at home, he’d given her a polite kiss on the cheek and left without a further word. Sam traced her fingers over her lips, remembering their passionate kiss in the woods before he’d backed away. Why had he done that?
Her bedroom door burst open, bringing her back to reality. “Hey,” she said, frowning at her brother. “I could have been naked in here. A bit of courtesy wouldn’t go amiss.”
“Oh, get over yourself,” Dylan replied, rolling his eyes. “What I have to say is so much more important than you wearing clothes or not.”
Sam raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to one side, waiting. When Dylan didn’t reply after a few seconds, she said, “And? Are you going to tell me or just stand there like a gormless moron?”
“I was just making sure you were interested. After all, this affects you the most.”
Sam’s heart stopped and flipped over backwards. “What? What are you talking about?”
Dylan’s face unfolded into a huge grin, his eyes shining bright and his pearly white teeth on full display. “We have an elemental witch in town.”
Sam sucked in a sharp breath. “What? Seriously? Where? Who is it?” She uncrossed her legs and leapt off her bed. “How do you know this?”
Dylan folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the doorframe. “Suddenly you don’t care if you might be naked or not, huh?”
“Stop being an asshole,” Sam said, throwing a pillow at him. “Tell me.”
“It was so weird,” he said. “I was just at the gym, doing some reps, you know, pushing the kilos up...” He glanced down at his biceps, smiling.
“Dylan, I don’t give a shit about how much you bench press. Tell. Me. About. The. Witch.”
“I’m setting the scene,” he said, looking back at his sister and shrugging his shoulders. “Do you want the story or not?”
Sam sighed. “Fine. Carry on.”
“So I’d just pushed my best record yet, one-fifty, and thankfully just set the bar back down in the cups when this almighty scent hit me like a bottle of smelling salts. It nearly knocked me out with the power I felt from it, it was like a wave but with the power of a block wall. Anyway, I ran outside and Mum called. Her and Dad felt it too. They were with Granny and she said she’s only ever smelled that scent once before and that came from an elemental witch.”
“Are you sure it’s not just Granny and one of her old tales? You know she’s getting mixed up with her memory lately.”
Dylan shook his head. “Definitely not. Dad said he’d never smelled anything like this and you know how many witches he’s been around.”
Sam’s heart started racing as her mind spun with millions of possibilities. This elemental witch could be a lifesaver, they could end her family curse, finally stop the torment that three generations of women before her had endured, and that she was enduring now.
“How do we find them?” Sam asked. “Is it just one? Where are they?”
“Granny thinks they’re close. I don’t know if it’s just one or not. But she said the strongest scent is coming from just outside of town. Whoever it is, they’re within reach, Sam. Are you ready to grab the bull by the horns? Or rather, the witch by the broomstick?”
“How are we going to find them?”
Dylan tapped the side of his nose. “Using my superpowers, of course.”
“Walking or driving?”
Dylan shrugged his shoulders. “Either or. How old school do you want to be?”
“We don’t have time for old school. If we have an elemental in town, we need to get there yesterday. I’ll even suffer your crazy driving for it.”
Dylan grinned. “That’s what I like to hear.”
Sam followed her brother out of her room, excitement jingling together with anxiety as the heady mix coursed through her veins. This witch could be an angel of mercy without even realising it.
Jumping in the car with Dylan, Sam didn’t fuss at all over his crazy driving or the insane speeds he reached as they hurtled closer towards their prize.
As Dylan raced around the country lanes, following his nose, Sam took in the scenery whizzing by the window, a familiar feeling of having been here before creeping up over her.
“I’ve been here before,” she said, frowning, as Dylan threw the car around a corner, the tyres squealing for grip.
She focused on her memories, trying to pull forwards how she knew these small little lanes.
“We’re literally in the middle of nowhere,” Dylan said, frowning. “I’ve barely even got any phone signal.”
Driving past a large crooked willow tree, Sam gasped as the memory hit her. “I know where we are,” she said, grabbing Dylan’s forearm. “Kyla’s gran lives around here. That can’t be a coincidence.”
Dylan let off the accelerator instantly. “What? Are you serious?”
Sam nodded. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been around here but yes, I’m sure. I remember that willow tree and all it’s twisted branches. We used to spend hours climbing it.”
“This elemental witch could be Kyla’s gran?” he asked, the reality of that sinking in slowly.
Sam nodded. “Looks like it.”
“Well that’s only a good thing, surely? It can only guarantee the fact she’ll help you.”
Sam shrugged her shoulders. “Not necessarily. I’ve not seen her for years. She probably doesn’t even remember me.”
Dylan let out a long breath and pulled up outside an idyllic little cottage. “This is where my nose has brought us.”
Sam nodded. “This is it.”
Before either of them could move, Lily appeared in front of the car, her arms folded over her chest as she stared at Sam and Dylan. Seconds later, Malcolm burst through the garden gate, standing at his wife’s side, ready for action if needed.
“Hi, Lily,” Sam said, stepping out of the car. “I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Sam—Kyla’s friend.”
Lily cast her piercing blue eyes over Sam, roving them up and down. Then, seconds later, she burst out into a wide smile. “Sam! It’s been a long time. You look so different now you’re all grown up. How are you? What brings you here?”
Dylan opened his car door and jumped out, standing at his sister’s side. “Hi,” he said. “I’m Dylan, Sam’s brother.”
Malcolm eyed him up and down, taking in every muscled bit of him. “Malcolm,” he said. “Lily. What can we do for you?”
Sam and Dylan looked at each other, not sure how deep to go with this.
“We were kind of looking for something and it lead us here...” Dylan said, testing the waters without giving away too much.
Malcolm raised an eyebrow. “What exactly were you looking for?”
As the two siblings hesitated over their next words, Lily stepped forwards and said, “Rose is your grandmother, right?”
Sam nodded. “You remembered well.”
Lily gave her a tight smile before replying, “Rose is not human. Just like me. Which means you’re well and truly involved in our world. Am I wrong?”
Dylan inhaled sharply before looking across at his sister.
Sam shrugged her shoulders at him. “No,” she replied, looking back at Lily. “You’re not wrong.”
“Ok, good, we’re all on the same page. So what are you looking for?”
“We’re werewolves,” Dylan said, keeping his voice quiet and low. “I smelled an elemental in the area and it led us here. Is it you?”
A wry smile tugged at Lily’s lips. “No, it most certainly is not me. What do you want with an elemental?”
“My family, well, more the females in my family, have an old curse on them and we understand we need an elemental to break it. We were kind of hoping, if it was you, that you might help us.”
Malcolm started chuckling, his broad chest vibrating. “It’s neither of us, dear. You might want to have a chat with your best friend.”
Sam gasped and stumbled back a step. “Kyla? Kyla’s the elemental? When did she find this out?”
“Today. You’ve just missed her actually. She left about ten minutes ago,” Lily replied.
Sam turned to Dylan, horror flooding her in an instant. “We have to go find her. Now.”
“What’s going on?” Lily asked.
“Kyla has been really unstable lately. I fear she’s on the verge of another breakdown. If she’s just discovered she’s an elemental witch, she’s going to go nuclear with that.”
Lily and Malcolm shared a look, their expressions saying a thousand words.
“I can track her,” Dylan said, tapping his nose.
“Go, go,” Lily said. “We’ll follow you.”
Dylan threw Sam his car keys and said, “I’m shifting. I can find her faster. Give me five minutes and I’ll call you to tell you what direction to head in.”
Sam nodded, her heart racing. Suddenly, her family curse mattered no more. What was now priority was making sure Kyla didn’t do anything she might regret.