From the Ashes (Witches of The Demon Isle Book 8) (19 page)

Melinda left the wall and gazed into the dark alley.

“I hate to say it, Lucas…”

“Couldn’t you just call me crazy and leave it at that?”

“Pretending it isn’t happening isn’t going to help. Believe me. I’m speaking from personal experience here. I think perhaps that being on the Isle, or the trauma of what happened, or you starting to embrace your supernatural side, or all of the above, might have kick-started some magical gift you didn’t know you had.”

“Sure we can’t just stick with crazy?”

She punched him in the arm.

He humored her by pretending it hurt although it was barely more than a tap.

“I’m not an expert, Lucas, but it seems to me you have some sort of gift that allows you to see into the past. Maybe Lizzy will know if this sort of thing runs in your family line. A lot of the time, these gifts get passed down through the bloodline.”

“I don’t want it,” Lucas stated.

“Ha. Join the club.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him down the street.

“Where are we going?”

“To see Lizzy.”

“It’s like, two in the morning.”

“I can guarantee you she’s not sleeping. Probably just getting home.”

“How do I give the gift back? I don’t want a magical gift,” Lucas blurted out. “I don’t want anything more to do with magic.”

Melinda stopped and faced him.

“I don’t think you have a choice anymore, Lucas.”

“Lizzy keeps saying that too.”

“She’s right. I realized tonight, I don’t have a choice either. We both need to deal, accept, and move on.” She didn’t give him the chance to argue and pushed him onward. They walked in contemplative silence all the way to the Deane Manor. Lucas opened the front door to the sounds of Lizzy’s voice.

She stopped and shook her head, glaring at the two of them, with a phone to her ear.

“She’s here, Charlie. Just walked in.”

“Oops,” whispered Melinda. She should have known her departure would not go unnoticed for long.

“Yeah, okay. Night, Charlie.” She hung up. “He says he’ll yell at you when you come home. Which better not be until daylight, or by getting a ride. It is beyond foolish Melinda, to wander off in the middle of the night with a vampire on the loose.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But if it’s William he would not hurt me…”
I don’t think.

“I’m not sold on it being William yet,” Lizzy responded sharply.

“Really?”

Lucas listened, confused. He hadn’t been caught up on the night’s events yet and the reporter locked in the Howard’s basement.

“I’ll fill you in later,” Lizzy aimed at him.

“I guess it was stupid, but I had to come. And part of me needed to see if it is William, for myself.” Melinda admitted her poor judgement.

“Do you have a death wish?” Lizzy barraged. “If it’s not William, it’s a killer who would not hesitate to suck you dry.”

“Okay. I get it. Geesh.”

“Sorry,” Lizzy said with a dampened chuckle. “I promised Charlie I’d give you a hard time. Although seriously, you are total vamp bait.”

“I know. Stupid me. Again. Add another mark in the brainless things I’ve done this week column.”

“I thought it was brainless things I’ve done today,” Lucas pointed out, amused.

Melinda rolled her eyes.

Lizzy planted her attention on Lucas. “Where have you been?”

Melinda nudged him. “Go on. Tell her.”

“Tell me what?”

Lucas explained, begrudgingly.

Lizzy’s eyes lit up as he did.

He finished with, “Melinda thinks it’s some magical gift…”

“It is,” confirmed Lizzy. “I had a cousin with the same gift.”

Lucas had hoped this was not true and this whole thing was some temporary weirdness that would go away.

“My cousin called himself a traveler,” Lizzy continued with a grin. “Because when it happened, even though his body never left the present, he said it was like going back in time for a few minutes. Witness to some past event.”

“That’s exactly what it’s like,” Lucas droned.

“You really need to get over your aversion to magic,” Lizzy said. “Embrace it, Lucas. It’ll make life so much easier.”

“Really? I think there are a few people who might disagree.”

“While part of me might disagree, Lucas,” Melinda interjected, “magic is a part of my life and I can’t deny it. I can’t change it. But I also refuse to let it rule my life. And I refuse to let what happened, or what might happen,” she croaked a little thinking of William, “rule my life. I very much intend on becoming the best, most kick-butt witch I can.” She wrinkled her nose. “Even though I still get panic attacks and do stupid things like flee the house in the middle of the night with a vampire on the loose. I guess what I’m trying to say is, it’s time to grow up. No more hiding in my room when things get too hard to handle. No more refusing to accept my gift. And definitely no more letting myself get into a situation like I did with the Feyk.”

Lucas frowned.

“You could do it with me, Lucas. Lizzy’s going to teach me some stuff. A lot more stuff than making potions, I hope.” She shot a pleading look to Lizzy. “The other reason I fled tonight. My brothers are too protective and I need a teacher willing to show me everything. And not hold back.”

Lizzy nodded, thinking on it.

“I don’t want to put you in an awkward situation with my brother,” apologized Melinda.

“No. It’s not awkward at all. For me. He might have a problem, but he’ll have to deal with it. Won’t he?”

Melinda clasped her hands together, ready to start right that minute. “Lucas?” She hoped he’d join her. His frown deepened. “It won’t be so bad,” Melinda insisted. “We can be like two kids going off to school for the first time. Actually, it would be kind of nice to have a study partner who knows as little as I do.”

He groaned. Giving in. He was stuck here, so what choice did he have? The last of his personal freedom washed away. He was sitting on the bottom of a dried up river bed, waiting for the next flash flood to drown him.

Lizzy gave a short squeal of excitement. “I always wanted to be a teacher. We’ll start tomorrow. Oh no, wait. Day after tomorrow. I have a lunch date with Charlie tomorrow.”

“Oh I so can’t wait to see how my brother screws that up,” mumbled Melinda.

“Me either,” grinned Lizzy.

“You’re going to make him work really hard, aren’t you?”

“Oh heck yeah. I intend on working over every last nerve until he…” she trailed off, clearing her throat. “Never mind.”

Poor Charlie,
thought Melinda. That instantly changed to,
strike that. He needs his butt kicked around a little.

Lucas wasn’t paying attention, instead, wishing for an impossibility. For any way out of this situation. For any way to escape this island, and forget about magic, his Deane blood, and find a simple life. But it wasn’t to be.

“Let me grab my truck keys, Melinda. I’ll drive you home.”

“Thanks, Lucas.” He left the room. “Charlie really is going to be pissed at me, isn’t he?”

“For storming off tonight, or becoming an unstoppable kick-butt witch?” questioned Lizzy.

“Crap. Both. I never realized I let my brothers hold me back. I don’t think they meant to, or want to. It’s their nature to be overprotective and it’s easy to let them. But it will not change.”

“You are right about that. I’m afraid that’s one thing that has not changed even in all the years I’ve been on this earth. Men will do anything to protect their women. Whether siblings, lovers, spouses, friends… it’s not a bad thing to be so loved.”

“But I need them to stop. For at least a while.”

Lizzy understood perfectly. It was the right choice, doing this. Her father had taught her to stand on her own two feet. Melinda needed the same.

“Poor guy,” Lizzy lamented about Lucas. “I’ve never seen someone hate magic so much.”

“Maybe after a time, he’ll change his mind. Heck, maybe we all will. He wasn’t so far off in his assessment of how we all actually feel right now.”

Lizzy got a stern look in her eye. “I do not believe it is William killing these people.” Her gut was telling her they were missing something. Or it might just be denial. Her brain refusing to believe it, like everyone else’s.

“You know, that thought is equally thrilling and terrifying.”

“I agree. If it’s not William, there’s a super scary vamp out there terrorizing the Isle.”

“And if it is him, that super scary vamp is…”
The man I’m in love with. The man who almost died trying to save my life. And who did steal away at least one woman’s life…

Reality sucked.

CHAPTER 14

Charlie stopped outside the door of a restaurant called the Mystic Mermaid. It was one of the fanciest and most expensive eateries in town, but being Charlie Howard, and the manager being an old friend of his father’s, he’d managed to scrounge up a reservation for lunch. He’d even put on jeans. And a real shirt, with a collar on it. Not his usual shorts and tank.

Lizzy fell behind quite a few times during their walk and every time he stopped to let her catch up, he spied her eyes lifting from where his butt had just been. Apparently, he needed to drag jeans out of the closet more often. Especially if she was going to keep licking her lips like she was about to taste him from head to toe.

She was outwardly surprised though when Charlie opened the door to the Mystic Mermaid and motioned for her to go in. He was unable to register whether this was happy surprise, or a,
what on earth
are you thinking, surprise.

The door shut before she could step inside.

Charlie growled.

His entire body releasing an outburst of animosity all targeted at a young man ambling down the street, ogling a young woman passing by him.

“Who is that and what’s he done?” Lizzy needed to know.

He grumbled out, “
Dominic.
I’m-going-to-freaking-strangle-him.
Landon.”

Known by his sister as Jerkface…

Charlie had a few other choice names for him.

He strode down the sidewalk like a tornado who planned on destroying just one thing in its path. Lizzy hustled to keep up, wondering what this guy did to piss off Charlie.

“Charlie Howard,” the young man had the gall to call out, acting like they were old friends. Dominic was a foot shorter and nowhere near as built as the werewolf. From his hair, to his smile, to his stride, he was dressed in cocky arrogance that assumed he was every woman’s fantasy. “Got another job for me?”

Lizzy wondered what the man meant. Charlie responded to Jerkface’s greeting by grabbing smug butts collar and tugging him unkindly into an alleyway before anyone had the chance to question the move. Once Lizzy was at his side Charlie thrust his palm outward and cast a spell to hide their conversation from the public.

“Hello. Dominic.” The gritty greeting spit through clenched teeth.

“What the heck man?” Dominic was a local, aware the supernatural was real, so seeing it in action didn’t faze him. However, the werewolf barely maintaining his human façade knocked him down a peg. For a few seconds.

“Charlie?” Lizzy called out softly, worried he was about to go over the edge. She hoped the Guardian ring did its thing and kept him in check. He rattled out a hot breath tainted by a low snarl, but let go of Dominic, crowding the space between them.

“I hired you to take my sister out for dinner.” His tone accused, Nothing. Else.

“I did. She had a
great
time.”

“Not what I heard.”

“I can’t help it if she’s…” Charlie’s hand slammed around his throat.

“If you ever come near her again, speak to her again, even look at her again…” he coated Dominic’s face with a menacing growl.

“Are you threatening me?” the smug prick replied. “I think you underestimate the cards I hold. I know a lot of secrets I’m sure you
witches
don’t want out.”

Charlie got right into his face, the Guardian ring giving into his will, freeing more of the wolf.

“You might want to rethink your plans. Because I know where you live. And I don’t need to know where you live to make your life a living hell. You get me, Dominic?”

“Yeah. I was only joking. I wouldn’t tell. Swear.”

“Your oath means nothing to me. I will be watching you. Do not ever go near my sister, again.”

“Believe me, not interested. And I have no clue what she told you, but it was all her idea. I just went along with it.”

“Yes, because giving yourself to her was such a huge favor, to her,” Charlie charged at him with a hiss. Lizzy glowered, getting more of the picture. “You are a walking violation to women. And my sister is not a cheap date.”

“It wasn’t cheap. But I guess you know since you paid the bill.”

His smug reply cut into Charlie. He heard Lizzy gasp at the accusation but he did not deny it. Instead, he put a few inches space between them, silver flashing across his eyes egging Dominic to cross an invisible line. Give him any reason to sink his teeth into him.

He would never do it. Dominic as a werewolf was a terrifying thought. All that power with no self-control…

“Do not go near my sister again. Ever.”

“Like I said, not interested. She came on to me,” his tone indicated,
they always do…
“I just went along for the ride.”

Lizzy stormed forward and knocked Charlie out of the way. No small feat with her tiny frame, but he staggered out of the way as without fanfare she reached out and grabbed Dominic’s junk, twisting him uncomfortably.

“What the heck lady?”

“The wolf is being too forgiving. You want to keep this?” Her eyes laser beamed into his.

“Yes,” he squeaked.

“Learn some respect. You ever treat another woman like you did Melinda Howard, you won’t be needing this any longer.” She released him with a final warning crank. “And Dominic… you’re the only one who thinks you’re God’s gift to women. And you’re wrong.”

“Crazy witch,” he muttered, creeping away. Charlie released the spell. Dominic disappeared. Lizzy expected to see Charlie miffed that she’d pushed him out of the way, but he wore a satisfied sneer. She folded her arms, sneering right back at him. Charlie’s smile dropped a little.

“You hired a guy like that idiot to date your sister? Strike that, you hired a guy, period, to date your sister?”

“You didn’t know Melinda when she was imprisoned in the house. I was trying to get her out more. Get her to go hang out with her friends. Then her friends all but forgot about her. I hired more than one guy to go out with her.”

“Is she keen on this?”

“No. And I’m not going to tell her. I feel terrible enough none of the dates went well, and not one of them asked her on a second date, and then
that
pompous douche. I’ll never forgive myself for that. I hoped if one of them spent some time with Melinda, even if hired and paid for by me the first time, they’d get to see the real her. They’d like her, and ask her out on a real date. I was trying to build her confidence… all I did was ruin it. Dominic was a grade ahead of her in school. Years ago, right before our parents died, she’d mentioned how cute he was. I had no idea what a prick he’d turned into.”

Lizzy found that hard to believe.

“I had some idea,” he restated gloomily. “He was a bit smug when I asked him to take her to dinner. But I had no idea he was a selfish prick who’d use my sister’s vulnerability like he did. God damn that…” his sentence continued with a long slew of obscenities, some of which Lizzy had never heard before.

But in between the lines, the words she really heard: damn himself for picking the douchebag and not seeing sooner what he’d done to destroy Melinda’s confidence. Lizzy unfolded her arms. Her wolf’s intentions were noble, if not done eloquently.

“Until Riley came along, no guy ever gave Melinda a second look. The locals didn’t understand her. Or why she kept herself locked away. They treated her, I don’t want to say harshly. Just, misjudged her. I handled the situation the best I could. I am clearly not an expert.”

“No. But your heart was in the right place. Even though it was an idiotic maneuver.”

“Dominic broke my sister and I had no idea. She was sad and withdrawn after her date with him, but she was sad after every date. I just… wanted her to be happy.”

“Well at least you weren’t stupid enough to pay them off for a second date.”

“No. If they didn’t genuinely want to after the first time, I had no intention on pushing. I was hoping there would be a spark with one of them. I wanted her to have a life. Leave the house. Feel good about herself. The opposite happened and now, of course, I see a hundred other ways I could have done that better.”

“It’s not something you can force, Charlie. It was something she had to do on her own terms. And she is.”

“Now. But back then…” he trailed off in a moment of doubt about everything he’d ever done trying to fix his sister. It was his duty to father new witches and keep the Howard bloodline going, but perhaps him and fatherhood were a bad mix.

“Shall we eat?” Lizzy changed the subject, giving him a break and not riding him too hard. His appetite was a bit dampened, but he nodded.

Romance time… he wasn’t starting off strong. He hoped lunch would go better. He led them back out to the Mystic Mermaid and opened the door for Lizzy and they stepped inside.

The hostess met them, dressed in a crisp ensemble of black and white. Hair pulled back, makeup applied to perfection. Nails that matched her lipstick and toenails. And heels so high Lizzy wondered how she walked upright at all. There was the low sound of classical background music playing overhead from speakers. But overall, as they were shown to their table, the eatery was quiet. People having hushed conversations, eating ridiculously small portions of food neither Lizzy nor Charlie could identify. His heart gave a lurch… he had a haunting suspicion this wasn’t going to go over well.

The entire walk through the dining room Lizzy wanted to smack Charlie for not warning her about the fanciness level. There was no way to hide her purple two-dollar flip-flops, or stop the slapping against the bottoms of her feet from drawing attention. At least she’d worn a nice summer dress; a nearly see-through white cotton dress. Barely passable for this joint.

However, realizing Charlie hardly wore anything other than shorts and tank tops, he probably considered the pullover shirt and unbelievably perfect fitting jeans plied against his butt, fancy.

“Oh, sorry,” apologized the hostess, stopping them abruptly. “I thought they had your table ready. Wait here a minute and I’ll be back.” She left them near the bar and scurried off to help the man cleaning their table. Charlie wondered if they had time for a few shots before sitting down. Lizzy bit at her lip and smoothed out her dress. He enjoyed the gentle upward push the dress gave her bosom but underneath the lower part of that dress was far too much room. He needed to start feeding her more.

“Do you gain weight?” Charlie asked her.

“Um, what?” Lizzy blinked rapidly.

“Sorry, I don’t think that came out right. I just mean, are you one of those girls that eats and eats and eats and never gains an ounce?”

“Where are you going with this?”

Charlie heard a tinge of warning in her tone.

“You need to eat more,” he told her. “A lot more. Are there certain foods that will go straight to your behind?” He held out his hand in depiction of a curvy figure with a gleam in his eye.

“Wow,” her breath caught. “Is this your idea of romance? Even in my day, talking about your weight was not a girl’s favorite topic.”

“But I read this thing that said woman love when a man doesn’t care if they lug around a few extra…” Lizzy put her hands to his lips to shut him up.

“At least you attempted to read something.”

“I’m doing this wrong, aren’t I?”

She returned his question with an annoyed grunt. “The name Jerkface is coming…”

“Oh. No. No way, I’m doing that bad. It’s just coming out all wrong. I’m really trying to say, I like a woman who eats. Please don’t order a salad. And if you had a sudden desire to gain a few pounds, I would not be offended in the least. I’d even help.”

“Your table is ready,” the hostess called out.

Thank God,
they both thought silently.

So far, this being romantic thing was not working out like he pictured in his mind. Stupid magazines… he’d found a few belonging to his sister and actually read some of the articles. No wonder Melinda had a warped view of relationships. Between his bad attempts to set her up, and those ridiculous, not-living-in-the-real-world articles, there was no winning!

The host took them to the backside of the eatery to a table next to an open window overlooking the ocean shore. It was a magnificent view but the space, cramped. Charlie tried to be a gentleman, and pulled Lizzy’s chair out for her, in the process elbowing the woman behind in the head. After apologizing profusely, he attempted to fit into his own seat.

What is the deal with these tiny tables and chairs?
His legs wouldn’t even fit underneath the table and his chair kept sliding back into the guy behind him. He looked up to see Lizzy, grinning in adoring amusement. She reached out and touched his hand.

“Charlie. What are we doing here?”

“I thought this was romantic. Expensive restaurant overlooking the ocean. It’s the fanciest place in town and near impossible to make a reservation this time of year.”

She tossed an offish glance between the two of them. “What does fanciest place in town have to do with romance? When you look at me, or think of me, or think of us together, is this what you imagine?”