Heirloom Magic: Every Witch Way (10 page)

“You’re a witch.
You don’t need a broom,” he told her.

“Unless you’re
flying on it,” Mallory quipped, and Harper turned to her.

“That’s a real
thing?” she asked, and Mallory shrugged.

“Sure, if you
wanted to enchant a broom and go flying—you can do anything.”

Harper let out a
laugh thinking about herself, who was deathly afraid of heights, flying high up
in the sky on a spindly little broom. “I think I’ll pass,” she told them, and
Mallory laughed.

“You don’t need to
fly on it, but you don’t need it for sweeping either,” Jasper said, getting
back to the matter at hand.

“I don’t know any
spells,” Harper told him, and he shook his head, refusing to accept her
defeatist attitude.

“I saw you in that
cavern. You are so powerful that you don’t even need them. You set that place
ablaze with just the power of your mind. You didn’t say a spell, I was close
enough, I would’ve heard.”

Harper nodded
slowly. That was true, and she’d been wondering how she’d managed it ever
since. “What should I do?” she asked Jasper, making him grin, flashing a little
fang, because she was willing to try.

“I don’t know
exactly, but your gran said you could do anything. Try imagining the salt
floating into the air and finding its way back into the bag,” he suggested, and
Mallory grinned, looking excited.

Harper stared at
the heavy ring of salt and could almost feel each grain weighing on her mind.
“Up,” she muttered at it, but it stayed completely still. “Nothing happened,” she
told her vampire audience, and Jasper shook his head.

“You’re just bossing
it around. You have to actually feel it to move it,” he told her, refusing to
let her give up.

Harper stared long
and hard and began to feel a vibration coming off the salt, like it was a real
living, breathing thing. She used her mind to separate the vibration of the
salt from all the other stuff buzzing in her brain, and then she yanked the
invisible cord and half the salt levitated off the ground.

Harper began to
feel a bit of a headache forming behind her eyes, from stress, but she ignored
it and refused to let the salt drop to the ground. Her eye snagged on the bag
and she willed the salt to march single file, back into the bag. When the last
grain disappeared, Harper finally let her focus break and she looked up
grinning, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

Mallory looked
stunned, and Jasper looked… proud.

“I’ve never met a
witch that didn’t need to use a spell book before,” Mallory said, a slight bit
of awe in her voice, and Jasper nodded.

“Me either,” he
told them, and Harper’s mind instantly wanted to deny that there was anything
special about her.

“I don’t think you
two know how hard it was for me to move that salt,” she told them, trying to
bluff it off.

“Your magic is
like a muscle,” Jasper told her. “You’ve never used it before, so it’s weak and
everything is an effort right now, but the more you practice, it will become
stronger and you will be able to do more complicated things.” Harper liked his
analogy.

“Try the rest of
the salt,” Mallory demanded, excitedly clapping her hands together.

Harper wiped her
brow again and nodded.

Jasper was right,
it was much easier this time, now that she knew what to do. Every grain of salt
went into the bag in half the time.

“I think I’m going
to bed,” Harper told them, noticing that the clock said well past three in the
morning. She was exhausted and bone weary in a way she’d never been before. The
magic had drained her.

She climbed the
stairs, leaving Jasper to show Mallory out. She stared at her bed for a minute,
debating if she had enough energy to get into her pajamas—but she didn’t—so she
collapsed on to her pillow fully clothed and passed out.

“Her gift is so
rare,” Mallory said in amazement to Jasper, and he nodded.

“We have to be
careful though,” he warned her. “It is bad enough Caspian knows of her demonic
blood, but we must try and keep this a secret between ourselves. To protect
her.”

Mallory nodded
seriously. “Of course,” she agreed. “With my life.”

Jasper nodded his
thanks. It was uncommon for a vampire to pledge their protection to another
being, especially a witch, but Mallory had been very attached to Elizabetta,
and Jasper could already see the same fast friendship forming between Mallory
and Harper, and for that Jasper was grateful. Being tied to Elizabetta hadn’t
been such a hardship, though he had chafed at the bond in the beginning. Liz
had already been a powerful witch when they first met, but Harper was
inexperienced and young. It was a dangerous mix for him, having his life bound
to a novice with immense power. He would take all the help he could get to keep
her safe.

Jasper sighed and
let Mallory out the front door, being cautious to lock the doors before he
drifted upstairs to check on Harper. She was sprawled out, fully dressed in her
bed, her face pale, though peaceful.

He turned away,
intending to find his own rest in the basement, and came face to face with a
demonic presence. His fangs snapped down, but he didn’t have time to do
anything else before a jolt of electricity shot him through the heart, making
his knees buckle. When they hit him with the highly charged prod again,
directly over the heart once more, he slipped into unconsciousness.

Harper woke from
her sleep with a scream and sat jolt upright. Her chest ached, and her heart
stuttered in her chest. It felt like she had been electrocuted—the dream had
been so real—and painful. A shadow in her doorway drew her attention, and she
screamed again when she saw the two strangers standing there, over Jasper’s
body.

“Get her,” the
first man demanded of the second, and he rushed forward. In her terror, Harper
somehow managed to launch a fireball at her attacker, but he only laughed
hysterically and passed right through it unscathed.

“Is that all you
have little girl?” he asked with a smirk before his large fist collided with
the side of her head and she passed out.

“Tie and gag her,”
the first demon commanded the second as he strode over and stamped out the
small carpet fire.

“What about the
vampire?” the second demon asked as he slapped a pair of special cuffs over the
half-breed, careful to wear gloves so he wouldn’t come in contact with the pure
silver. He was itching to draw blood tonight, and they’d been commanded not to
harm the girl.

The demon
considered his partner’s request before shaking his head. His every instinct
was to kill the vampire too, but he’d been commanded to slip in and out without
going on a murdering spree or drawing attention to themselves.

“Let’s get out of
here before the fanger wakes up,” he said gruffly as he took the girl from his
partner and dissipated into nothingness. It had been too easy to simply appear
in the hallway.
What kind of a witch didn’t even have protection wards
around their house?
He couldn’t help wondering as he arrived instantly at
his destination with his package. He was going to be greatly rewarded.

Chapter Nine

Harper woke with a yelp. The last thing she remembered was those men
rushing her. The side of her face hurt as she recalled the attack with vivid
clarity. She had thrown fireballs at them, and they had just walked through the
flames. What kind of creatures could do that?

She tried to move
her stiff body, but she was tightly bound to a chair. She looked down at her
hands, folded in her lap and cuffed together, and let out an annoyed breath.
She was terrified, but she was also angry and worried about Jasper. Had those
things killed him? Had she accidentally burned the house down with him inside?
Her guts rolled with worry as she tried to wiggle herself free.

“I’m glad to see
you’re awake. I was beginning to worry my minion had hit you too hard.” Harper
froze when a large man walked in. He was dressed casually in a loose white
shirt and khaki shorts, but there was something unmistakably dangerous about
him.

Harper tested out
her jaw, bitterly thinking the guy had hit her plenty hard enough. “What do you
want?” she demanded, making the man chuckle.

“You certainly are
spirited,” he told her, running a finger along her cheekbone. Harper flinched,
but only for a second before she used her teeth to take a snap at the intruding
finger. It hurt her face to do it, but it was well worth it to see him yank his
finger away.

“I mean you no
harm,” he assured her, making Harper arch an eyebrow in his direction.

“You could’ve
fooled me,” she disputed, motioning to her tied hands. Her kidnapper’s
attention snagged on the cuffs she wore, and he frowned.

“Interesting,” he
muttered, making Harper want to ask what was so interesting, but she stubbornly
refused to give him the satisfaction. “They put the silver cuffs on you.” His
eyebrows arched. “They are not burning you?” he asked, and Harper shook her
head before regretting giving him any information at all. The man looked
intrigued. “That is interesting news. Demons cannot touch pure silver without
immeasurable pain. The affect is like acid.” Harper frowned down at her cuffs.

“So you mean me no
harm, but you tried to slap a pair of acid cuffs on me?” she couldn’t help
pointing out, and the man nodded like that made perfect sense.

“It is usually the
only way to subdue a demon,” he said without any hint of remorse.

“I am not a
demon,” Harper spat, even though she knew it was at least a quarter untrue.

The man studied
her. “I know the truth. I can see the demon fire flash in your eyes because you
are angry,” he told her, making Harper’s stomach roll. Was this guy talking
about the same thing she’d witnessed with her grandfather’s spirit?

“What do you want
from me?” Harper asked again, feeling deflated.

“Right down to
business. I like that,” the man told her. “My name is Malachai, and in case you
haven’t figured it out yet, I am a demon.” Harper hadn’t figured it out, at
all, and felt ill at the news. “I won’t harm you, at least not if you
cooperate,” he told her with an evil grin, and Harper noticed that he had
fangs, though they weren’t half as large as Jasper’s. She vaguely wondered if
bringing it up would make the demon feel insecure—but then she shook the crazy
thought from her mind. She was obviously breaking down from the stress, and she
couldn’t afford that right now. She had to stay sharp and figure out a way to
escape.

“Yes,” Harper
said, licking her lips—they felt dry and cracked—and it was what finally made
her realize that it was very hot and humid wherever they were keeping her.

“Yes?” the demon
questioned, looking taken aback. “You haven’t even heard my proposition yet.”

Harper gave a weak
shrug. “I don’t want to die. I will do whatever you want to insure that doesn’t
happen.” The demon laughed uproariously at her surrender.

“I am glad to hear
you could be so easily swayed. I was prepared to spend several days torturing
you before you caved,” he shrugged like it didn’t matter to him either way
before continuing. “Your participation won’t be much at first. We want you to
align yourself with your demon brethren, and then continue to develop your
skills. With you on our side, we could rise up the ranks to true power.” Harper
blinked, surprised by the demon’s ambitions.

“What do I get in
return?” she asked, making the demon chuckle again.

“There’s the demon
in you,” he said approvingly. “Always trying to make a deal.” He raised his
fingers to smooth his goatee while he considered her question. “You will have
your life, of course,” he said at last and Harper nodded approvingly—being
alive was always great. “You will also be richly rewarded, as soon as you prove
your loyalty.” The demon stood and began to retreat. “I will go spread the good
news… You understand why I have to keep you chained up for now?” he questioned,
though he didn’t stay long enough to let Harper reply.

Harper watched him
go, her heart pounding. She counted her rapid heartbeats to fifty before she
began to struggle against the cuffs. She struggled until sweat began to pour
off her body and she was out of breath. The chair wobbled beneath her and she
tipped over, barely managing to keep a small cry to herself when she knocked
her head against the concrete floor.

“You do know
you’re a witch right?” she heard a sardonic voice ask. It was a familiar voice
that sent a thrill racing down her spine. Harper twisted around until she could
see Jasper standing in the doorway.

“What are you
doing here?” she demanded, having never been so relieved to see someone in her
entire life!

“Aren’t you happy
to see me?” Jasper asked, and Harper nodded emphatically.

“I never thought
I’d say this…but I am. I really am” she admitted, and Jasper chuckled as he
moved quickly through the room and used a sharp fingernail, which seemed to
grow suddenly from his regular looking nails, to cut the rope. He touched her
cuffs and then jerked his hand away as a red burn appeared on his skin.

“You’re going to
have to take this one,” he told her, shaking his hand, and Harper could see the
skin already knitting itself back together.

“How?” she asked, and
Jasper looked nervously over his shoulder at the door.

“Imagine them
falling off, I really don’t know, but you’d better hurry up!” he told her, his
fangs elongating at something that Harper couldn’t hear.

Harper stared at
the cuffs, though it was hard to concentrate when she kept expecting angry
demons to burst in the room at any moment. She imagined the cuffs clicking
open, but nothing happened.

“Focus.” Jasper
snapped at her, and it took everything Harper had not to argue that she was
focusing, but she knew there was definitely no time for arguing.

Harper stared at
the cuffs again. This time anger spiked through her, and the cuffs began to
shimmer as she focused all her rage and frustration on them. Harper felt a warm
drip on her leg and looked down in surprise to see the cuffs were melting,
dripping off her wrist and into a molten puddle on the floor. She expected it
to burn, but something in the spell must’ve been protecting her.

She looked up at
Jasper with a triumphant smile, but his face was void of any sign of
celebration. He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to her feet, yanking her
back sharply when Harper started for the door. Jasper’s hand held her immobile.
“What?” she demanded when he just looked at her with his hooded, unreadable gaze.

“Were you really
going to take their deal?” he asked seriously, and Harper realized with a start
that he must’ve been listening to her entire conversation earlier.

“Of course not,”
she snapped. “I just wanted them to give me a chance to get away.” Harper
paused and pursed her lips as she looked at him. “Didn’t you see me trying to
escape when you came in here?” she demanded, and Jasper grudgingly nodded.

“Alright then.
Let’s go,” he told her, and Harper started for the door again, only to have
Jasper pull her back a second time. She was just about to open her mouth and
berate him when he motioned to the window. “The window is best, they are almost
here,” he said. Harper ran for it, and this time he didn’t pull her back.

The window was a
bit higher than Harper could reach, but Jasper easily tossed her up and then
followed her through. Harper landed hard, letting a little woof of air escape
her bruised body. She gave Jasper a dirty look when he landed lightly beside
her without sound or struggle.

“What have we got
here?” a gruff voice demanded, and Harper let out a little yelp when she saw a
man, who she was certain was a demon, standing about six feet from them.

Jasper didn’t
reply but his image blurred as he rushed forward at vampire super speed and
snapped the demon’s neck. “That won’t kill him, but it should keep him out of
commission long enough for us to escape,” Jasper murmured as he grabbed
Harper’s hand and pulled her along.

It was dark
outside and they melted into the landscape easily. Harper felt the squish of
sand between her toes, and the smell of salt and seaweed assailed her nose.
They must be somewhere near the ocean—it made Harper wonder how she had gotten
so far from her inland house.

Jasper pulled her
through some underbrush just as the camp behind them erupted into noisy
shouting. “Sounds like they’ve discovered you’re missing,” Jasper said grimly
as he scooped Harper up into his arms.

“Not so fast,
vampire,” a woman commanded, stepping out from behind a tree. Jasper set Harper
down and slipped a small, coarse bag into her hand. Harper squeezed it and felt
all the tiny grains move—it was salt.

Harper had never
seen a female demon before, well, besides herself… The woman was beautiful but
deadly looking as she stepped boldly forward. It was obvious that she didn’t
see Jasper as much of a threat either, by her casual attitude. Jasper blurred
and moved towards her, but she somehow managed to catch him around the throat.
With a growl, she began tugging at his neck, trying to loosen it from his head.

Harper was
horrified, and even more so when she began to feel the strain on her own
vertebrae. “Wait!” Harper screamed in terror, and the demon’s hand actually
stilled for a moment. It was like she could feel everything that hurt Jasper.
Her eyes widened when she realized that Jasper hadn’t known the entire story
when he’d told her that if she died, he would as well. If Jasper died, so would
she! Now she knew how Jasper felt having his life tied to her own. It was a
sick feeling in her gut. “You want me alive, don’t you?” she demanded, and the
demon smirked.

“I don’t
particularly care, but the higher ups think we should,” she admitted, her voice
distracting Harper for a moment. It was all rough and course sounding, like she
smoked ten packs a day.

“Then you can’t
kill him,” she pointed out, nodding towards Jasper. “He’s cursed. His life is
tied to mine. If he dies, so do I,” she warned the she-demon. The demon
smirked.

“You really expect
me to believe that?” she rasped, and Harper nodded, not missing the odd look
Jasper cast her way. He really didn’t know. The demon gave them both a nasty
look before plunging her claws into Jasper’s chest. Jasper let out a grunt of
pain that was covered up by the hoarse scream that fell from Harper’s lips.

The demon looked
at the bloom of red on Harper’s own chest and quickly pulled her fingers from
the vampire. “Damn it.” She cursed, looking a little bit afraid. Jasper started
to heal at once, but Harper’s wound continued to bleed.

Jasper was stunned
to discover the curse worked both ways. “She doesn’t heal like you or I,” he
panted as he struggled to make his way over to where Harper lay on the springy,
moss-covered ground, her chest bleeding profusely. The demon let Jasper go but
kept a close eye on him as he landed beside the half-breed and bit his wrist,
forcing his blood down her throat.

Nothing happened
at first, and the demon came even closer, leaning down so that she could get a
better look.

Harper was still
feeling weak, but already the vampire blood was starting to knit her chest
together. It had been a superficial wound, painful as hell, and had grazed her
ribs, but at least the bitch hadn’t touched any vital organs. Harper looked up
into Jasper’s worried face and felt intense anger at the demon. Her fingers dug
into the bag of salt, blocked by Jasper as he leaned over her in concern. The
demon yanked Jasper back up to his feet when she was sure Harper was going to
live, allowing the vampire to gingerly help the half-breed up.

As soon as her feet
were back on solid ground, Harper didn’t even think twice about throwing a
handful of salt at the demon’s face. Cruella De-vil’s mouth opened in a scream
as salt viciously ate away her demonic face, and Harper tossed another handful
of salt right into the demon’s screeching mouth. She wasn’t really sure the
salt would do anything, but why else would Jasper have given it to her? The
demon gargled and steam issued from her throat as she flailed around. Jasper
used the distraction to move in and rip out her black, beating heart from her
chest. The demon fell to the ground with a hard thump, and Jasper threw the
heart to the ground and picked Harper up and took off at vampire speed.