Blood Rush (The Lost Witch Trilogy #2) (8 page)

Sarah swallowed and tried to talk, but was silenced when he just pulled her in for a long hug, holding her tightly as he rested his chin against her head. She heard a car pull up into the gravel driveway behind them and tried to pull back so she could turn to see who it was, but Lash refused to loosen his arms. She tilted her head up to see Lash staring over her shoulder, his blue eyes, now icy and remote. She heard a car door slam and wiggled to be free. Lash allowed her to turn around but his arms remained securely around her.

Sarah turned around to see Zane standing in front of them. He was alone and he looked slightly dazed and perplexed.

“What are you doing here Lash?” he finally asked looking back and forth between Lash and Sarah.

Lash squeezed Sarah tightly before answering. “Just seeing
my
girlfriend home. I’m going to run back and get dad for dinner and then I’ll be right back. Don’t miss me too much Sarah,” he said before bending down to kiss her on the cheek.

Sarah glared up at Lash’s mischievous face and sighed as she watched him walk around the car and get in.

She and Zane watched him drive away with a carefree wave, leaving them alone in front of the house.

Sarah couldn’t even look at Zane, so she turned away from him and walked up the front steps.

“
Sarah?”

Sarah looked back, surprised at the soft, pain filled voice. Zane was standing in the same spot, looking anguished and helpless. Sarah immediately hurried down the three steps towards him, until she remembered he had dumped her for Charlie. Her face hardened as the hurt and pain Lash had kept at bay all afternoon, enveloped her, almost crushing the breath out of her.

“What Zane? What can you even say to me?” she asked, her voice breaking with unshed tears.

Zane held a shaking hand towards her, his face strained in agony. “Help me,” he said, sounding as if he were begging her.

Sarah bowed her head, as tears began to slip down her cheeks. Her hands clenched at her sides, so she wouldn’t hold them out to him.

“I thought you loved me Zane. But you never really loved
me
. It was just because I was a witch. Because if you had really loved me.
Just me
. You wouldn’t have fallen for the next witch you came in contact with. I get it. She’s prettier than me. She’s more stylish and confident. I get it Zane. You were just using me for some
witch
thrill until something better came along.”

Zane fisted his hands at his sides and he was breathing fast. She watched through her tears as his face turned red and he groaned like he was in pain.

“Sarah.
Please
. I’m begging you,” he said, his eyes pleading with her.

Sarah shook her head in confusion and felt like screaming. “What Zane? What do you want me to do?”

Zane took a shuffling step towards her and then bent over as if he were sick to his stomach, grabbing his torso, and wrapping his arms around himself
.

Sarah couldn’t contain herself any longer and rushed down towards Zane, putting her arm around him and leaning down to see his face.

He reared back from her, gasping in pain and held his hand up, as if he were warding her off. Sarah moved away as her heart broke again. He didn’t even want her to touch him. She turned and ran all the way up the stairs. She flung the front door open and rushed to the kitchen, where she found Gretchen and Agnes arguing over a recipe.

“Zane is sick in the front yard. He needs help. Just not mine,” she said, breathing fast and not meeting their eyes.

Gretchen and Agnes, rushed past her, leaving her alone in the kitchen.

Chapter 7 - Flying

She stared down at her hands and felt the electricity quake in streams through her limbs. She had to get out of the house. She hurried out of the kitchen, up the stairs and to her room, slamming the door shut. She flung her closet doors open and grabbed the sweats her great grandmother had bought for her along with her high tech running gear and Nikes. She quickly changed and pounded down the stairs, ignoring Zane, Gretchen and Agnes standing together in the hallway. Without a word, she flew past them and out the front door. She ran quickly around the side of the house and down the pathway to the beach.

The closer to the beach she got, the more power she felt inside. It was almost as if the power of the ocean was calling to the power flowing through her body. It was so overwhelming she felt like screaming. She jumped over rocks and old weathered tree trunks as she raced along with the waves, going faster and faster until she felt like she could fly. She urged the power flowing through her body to her legs and let the power take over. She closed her eyes and felt like she was flying. When she opened her eyes moments later she found she was far away from the house. She glanced around and couldn’t see anyone or any other houses in view so she held her arms wide open and said the one word she’d been dreaming of saying for days.
Fly
.

She took a leap and felt the air lift her body. The energy swirling inside of her and around her took over and melded into a perfect sphere of power, enclosing her in a womb of energy so perfect, that Sarah at last was able to let the pain and anguish of her first heartbreak loose. She lifted her head and screamed out her rage and disappointment and pain, letting the wail of emotion fill her and multiply, somehow emptying her and cleansing her at the same time.

Sarah opened her eyes and floated down slowly, until she could feel the sand again. She lowered her arms to her sides and turned in a slow circle. She was facing the ocean now and as the sun set, the water turned gray, silvery and metallic. Just like Zane’s eyes.

Sarah breathed in deep and lifted her hand to the ocean, wondering if she could control it like Francis had. She whispered the word
up
and watched as a wall of water flung itself high above the other waves, crashing back down in a torrent of violence. Sarah swallowed her excitement and raised both her hands this time and shouted at the ocean.
Up!
The waves reared up like stallions, flying in to the air like geysers, going higher, and higher and higher. Sarah blinked in awe and fear and slowly lowered her hands, watching as the water crashed helplessly back into the ocean, causing monster waves that threatened to drench her now.

Sarah sprinted away from the crashing water and belatedly realized there was a small forest of trees on this side of the coast. She ignored the rage of the ocean and the crashing waves and stared achingly at the woods. Soon she would come and explore and maybe she would find a special tree that could be just hers.

She looked longingly one more time at the woods and then turned and jumped into a run and headed back towards the house. She felt empty and somehow clean. The energy and power that had felt so strong it should have overtaken her, was now safely expelled. She might even be able to sit across from Zane at dinner and not want to fry him. But as she thought of the anguish in Zane’s face that had mirrored her own, she knew she could never hurt Zane. Much as Lash would hate to know it, she still loved Zane.
Charlie?
Charlie, she wouldn’t mind hurting.

Sarah smiled tiredly and devised a torturous revenge for the beautiful cold blond who had stolen Zane right out from under her. A half an hour later, she reached the beach behind her great grandmother’s house and walked towards the water to cool down. She paused and rested her hands on her hips as she stared out at the water, reflecting the sunset and tried to empty her mind so she could face everyone at dinner. By now, Gretchen and Agnes would know she and Zane had broken up. She had no idea what version of events Zane had given them. She only knew she didn’t want to talk to them about it. At least not tonight. What could she say? Nothing really. She had no logical explanation for it. And what would her great grandmother say? She really didn’t want to know. And sitting by Lash at dinner, seeing his hopeful love filled face, just made her more sad for some reason. He really expected her to fall right into his arms.

If she was being honest with herself, she knew she could. Lash could make her feel better. He could help her get over Zane. She knew she could use his love for her to move on. But that was just it. She didn’t want to use Lash. And even now, she still wanted Zane.

She sighed wearily and then felt a strange bump in her mind and the presence of someone standing close by. She didn’t even think the word; she just pushed whoever it was out with a rush of power. She turned slowly to see her great grandmother lying in the sand.

Sarah squeaked and ran to her side, kneeling down and lifting Francis’ head up.

“Grandmother! Grandmother, wake up! Wake up!” she yelled, shaking her shoulders gently and looking around frantically.

She stared down at her grandmother’s pale cheeks and took a breath. She closed her eyes and sent her energy out to her grandmother’s mind and sent the words,
Wake up,
into her grandmother’s mind.

Francis slowly opened her eyes and reached a shaky hand up to her head. “Sarah?” she asked, her voice sounding paper thin and weak

Sarah groaned softly as she helped her grandmother sit up. “Yes grandmother, it’s me, Sarah. Are you okay?”

Francis blinked a couple times and then closed her eyes for a moment as she felt her temples with her fingers.

“I was testing you and then I blacked out. What happened?” she asked, sounding upset and confused.

Sarah sat down next to her grandmother in the sand and looked down at her hands, resting on her knees.

“I had a really hard day today and I had a lot of energy swimming around. So I went for a run, and I kind of flew a little. But that wasn’t enough, so I tried to control the water like you did, and
I did
. And it was amazing and kind of scary too. And I thought I had gotten rid of it all. I was just standing there, looking at the lights and color on the water and I felt someone enter my mind and I didn’t even stop to think, I just threw you out.”

Sarah looked away guiltily and closed her eyes. Today sucked. “I’m sorry that I hurt you. I don’t think we should do that kind of testing anymore. I think I have it down and I don’t want to hurt you anymore,” she said firmly, watching her grandmother’s expression change like a whirlwind.

Francis closed her eyes, looking down at her lap and breathed in and out a few times. When she opened her eyes again, she was stronger, more clear and renewed.

“Tell me everything,” she commanded in a clear voice.

Sarah glanced at her again and then looked back at the darkening ocean. “Why not,” she said with a sigh and told her grandmother everything that had happened that day, including Lash’s declarations of love. When she finished, she leaned her head against her knees and felt finally purged.

Francis sighed and struggled to stand up. Sarah leapt up, and grabbed her grandmother’s hand, pulling her the rest of the way up.

“Sarah, there is more at stake here than your heart young lady. There are souls. I need to talk to your father and to Gretchen and Agnes. We’ll figure this out dear. But until we do, keep your heart locked up for a bit. Lash is a fascinating young man and Zane is incredible, but until we know all the pieces, hold back Sarah. Right now, you need to focus on protecting yourself and your family. Everything else will fall into place when the time is right. Tying yourself up in knots over the affections of a good looking boy isn’t something you have time for. Focus Sarah. Focus,” her grandmother commanded sternly.

Sarah blinked in surprise. She had been expecting a comforting response and instead she had been chastised. “What exactly do you want me to focus on?” she asked with a bite in her tone.

Francis stared hard into her eyes. “
Surviving
.”

Sarah rolled her eyes and looked away. “Yeah, got it.
Thanks
Grandmother. Your kind words have healed my soul and I can now go on, strengthened and encouraged.”

Francis narrowed her eyes at her granddaughter and turned away silently.

Sarah watched as Francis walked away from her, leaving her feeling cold and vulnerable. She followed her Grandmother back into the house and walked up to her room where she took a long hot shower, letting the steam surround her. She played with the rivers of steam and sat down on the tile floor and watched as the steam swirled and danced around her.

Now that she was away from her aunt and the ever present dark energy that had constantly surrounded her, she felt more confident and open to using her power to do what she’d always wanted to do. Whatever it was. Whether it was to float and fly or to simply play. She was coming into her own and she had to admit that that alone was something she could smile about. She pushed the steam around with her mind until it formed a small tornado and grinned as she punched it with her fist, sending the steam in all directions.

Sarah finally turned off the water and got dressed. She towel dried her hair, slicking some leave in conditioner through the waves and heading downstairs to see what was for dinner. She dreaded seeing Zane again but she was so hungry her stomach was clawing at her.

She walked into the kitchen and found it empty. She heard voices coming from the dining room and so she hurried in that direction. She walked in to the brightly lit room and found everyone sitting in their same places from last night. She glanced around the room and saw that everyone’s face was turned towards her. She swallowed self-consciously and walked slowly towards her seat. She stared with a frown at the empty chair next to Zane and looked at Lash. He sent a frowning glare towards her grandmother and she knew that she was the one who had insisted on the seating arrangement. She sent a small smile to Lash and shrugged. She ignored Zane and sat down next to her father, who smiled at her welcomingly.

“Glad you could make it. Your run must have done wonders for you. You look like a million bucks. Wait a minute, did you get highlights today?” he asked curiously as he stared at her hair.

Sarah frowned and reached for a strand of hair, bringing it forward to study the color in the light from the chandeliers. Interwoven between the many shades of red, there were strands of light strawberry blond. Sarah’s eyebrows rose in wonder as she realized that the power she had let loose on the beach had bleached her hair. The same way she had bleached Zane’s when he had taken in too much of her energy the day they had kissed outside the shop.