Memories of Magic (The High Priestess Trilogy) (3 page)

Jake threw himself into the chair as he waited for Lochlan to answer, knowing that the safety of the High Priestess along with the rest of coven probably rested largely on his friend’s answer.

“Of course Jake,” Lochlan said easily. “Let me do some digging and see what I can uncover.”

“Look, I’m back at home in San Fran if you need to reach me.” Jake jumped up from his chair to pace his apartment. “Any information would help us out. Oh, and Lochlan,” Jake hesitated for just a moment. “She wants them brought to her
alive
.”

“Alright, alright.” Lochlan laughed off the not so veiled insinuation. “Once I find out where those little bastards are hiding, I’ll go easy on them.”

“Keep me posted...and thanks again.” Jake hung up and started to dial a couple more allies.

It was well after one o’clock in the morning when he finally fell into bed. His last thought was of Emily before he succumbed to exhaustion.

Jake awoke with a start. It was going to be another busy day. He phoned his assistant, Nancy, and cancelled all his appointments for the day. He needed to follow up with Simon and Kate to see if there had been any progress to report.

Simon had done his locating spell and was surprised to discover that the two witches appeared to be on their way to San Francisco. Kate was following up on the mowarts, but there was no sign of them yet.

After the quick update Jake slammed back a cup of coffee then jumped into a cool shower. It wasn’t long before he was back on the phone. This time with Lochlan.

“Well, tracking them was a little easier than I expected.” Lochlan took a gulp of his own coffee he’d been surviving on all night. “It seems two black magic witches are the masterminds behind this new
invention
.” The bounty hunter gave Jake all the information he had gathered. “I was able to track them from the convention in Santa Monica back to your neck of the woods, my friend.”

“So they are here?” Jake nodded his head. “Someone else thought they were moving this way. Why San Francisco?” He asked, not really expecting an answer.

“I don’t know, but I aim to find out.” With that, Lochlan hung up the phone.

Jake’s mind was spinning with questions again.
What the hell are they doing here?
His thoughts immediately went to Emily. He needed to call her, he wanted to make sure those two hadn’t bothered her again after he left. But first he needed to call Isisa.

His conversation with the High Priestess was brief and continued to be filled with coded words as he passed along all of the latest developments.

His next call was to Emily. She wasn’t home so he left a message. He physically ached to see her again. In the midst of all of this madness he had needed to put aside his intense desire to touch her once more, but that didn’t make the longing disappear. And it wasn’t going to stop him from trying her again later.

The remainder of the day was filled with endless calls, cryptic e-mails and texts. The pace was frantic, but with no new developments. And that was how each day went for well over a week. Still no closer to apprehending the two witches or even discovering if a mowart even existed, the frustration was evident in everyone’s voice.

Jake tried Emily’s number again; still no answer. It was the third time he called and it was the second message he’d left. And it would be his last. If she didn’t feel the same way he did, so be it. Jake wasn’t going to beg her to go out with him, even if part of him wanted to. There was no way his pride would allow him to stoop that low.

The ball was in her court. He stared at the phone, willing it to ring. Nothing. Annoyed with himself, he shook his head and walked away.
Damn it!

He was only a step away when it rang. His heart lifted when he saw Emily’s number on the call display.

“Hello.” He tried to sound casual but was sure he failed.

“Is this Jake Wheeler?” It was a woman’s voice, but not Emily’s.

“It is. Who’s calling?” Jake’s heart was beating fast. Something was wrong.

“This is Amelia Pierce. I’m Emily’s mom,” she explained. “I was just picking up some clothes for Emily and collecting her messages.” She paused for a moment, not entirely sure of how to continue.

So intense was his sense of disaster, in that moment Jake felt certain his heart would crack in half.

“I don’t know if you’re aware... Emily has been in an accident?”

“Accident? No, what accident?” His chest exploded with anxiety as he melted into the chair.
He wanted to ask more questions, but his mouth had gone completely dry.

“She was involved in quite a bad accident in Santa Monica.” Amelia explained. “She’s been staying at our place while she recovers.”

Jake interrupted her, “Is she okay?” He stammered over his words as they rushed out of his mouth.

“Yes, yes, she’s going to be fine,” Amelia assured Jake. “But I think…I think perhaps there might be something you can help with.” She hoped her sister was right; she hoped she had the right man.

“Are you THE Jake Wheeler; the
doctor
?” She needed to make sure this was the same Jake Wheeler her sister, Isisa, had told her about. She didn’t want to look foolish or embarrass herself or her daughter.

“I am.” Jake confirmed. “What is it you think I can do?” He asked, the fog in his brain starting to clear.

“Emily has been experiencing some amnesia since the accident,” she started to explain, but Jake interrupted again.

“Amnesia? How bad is it?” The question was barely out of his mouth before Jake realized the reason Emily hadn’t called him back. The guilt was he felt for almost giving up on her was as immediate as it was overwhelming.

“Unfortunately there is a lot she can’t remember.” Amelia’s heavy-hearted sadness was evident in her tone, “but amnesia is not her only issue. It appears she has lost her…her magic.”

Relieved, Jake let out deep sigh. “I can help. I can absolutely help,” He said with certainty. “Can you get her in for an appointment?”

“I will try.” Amelia nodded to herself,
thankful
she had made the call. “But I have to tell you she’s been a bit apprehensive to go anywhere recently.”

“You just get her to me and I’ll help to restore her powers.” Jake knew he was capable of that.
But what if she doesn
’t remember m
e
?
The disturbing thought interrupted him.
W
ould I be able to forget about her?
He wasn’t sure he had
that
kind of power.

“Please call my office and set up an appointment with Nancy as soon as you can. And Amelia,” Jake said thoughtfully. “Thank you for calling.”

Amelia’s voice caught in her throat. “I just really hope you can help her. I will talk to her tonight,” she promised. “Thank you.”

For the first time in days, Amelia smiled. Filled with hope, she allowed herself to believe that her daug
hter would make
a full recovery.

Emily
swung her car into the parking lot of the
un
assuming building.
She studied the address to make sure she had the right place.
There was no lettering on the building, no windows in the front or on the side where she parked. There was a lot she couldn’t remember, but she knew i
t
was
completely out of character
for her
to
feel
so un
certain.

She looked at the address again; the
numbers on
the building matched the piece of
paper in her hand so she unfolded herself from
the
car and made her way in.

She hated these memory lapses she’d been having since the accident. There were huge voids in her life that she just couldn’t retrieve. It was as if great chunks of time had simply vanished.

She knew who she was, she recognized her friends and family and knew she worked at her family’s herbal supply store - so she didn’t have complete amnesia. But there were gaping holes in her more recent past, and her ability to create magic had completely disappeared. A fairly embarrassing admission for a witch.

She hoped listening to her mom was going to pay off. Both her mom and aunt had raved about
Jake the witch doctor
. As she opened the heavy steel doors and entered the sparse reception area, she really hoped Jake lived up to his reputation.

“You must be Emily.” A lovely young woman welcomed her from behind a desk.

Emily assumed she was a secretary. She was beautiful and seemed confident and Emily was instantly jealous. She missed the confidence she knew she had once carried with ease. She wanted it back, which of course, was why she was there.

Her mom had told her repeatedly that Jake Wheeler was the master at not only getting people to recall lost memories, but also helping them to reawaken their diminished magical gifts. It hadn’t taken too much persuasion for Emily to make the call.

The young woman stepped out from behind the beautiful, crescent moon shaped desk. “I’m Nancy, follow me.”

Her smile was genuine and Emily felt just a little guilty for her jealousy as she followed Nancy down the hallway and into a small office off to the right. It was as
inconspicuous
as the exterior of the building. “Jake will be right with you.”

“Thank you.” Emily looked around the office then sat in the black high-back chair across from the desk.

She tried to get a feel for the room. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and tried to feel something - anything. But nothing came. She felt empty inside. For over a week the emptiness had consumed her. No electricity pulsing through her veins, no intuition whispering in her mind. There was just an endless stream of questions with no answers in sight. So now she was here to see
the witch doctor.

She sat up a little straighter when she heard papers being shuffled on the other side of the door. She took another deep breath and hoped for the best as the door opened.

Emily was familiar with the term ‘time stood still’, but she’d never experienced it – until now. For just a moment her heart fluttered and everything appeared to stop.

Well that’s something I’m fairly sure I haven’t felt in awhile
, she thought as her heart righted itself. It might not be magic, but i
t was
something – something pure and simple that felt magical.

Jake entered the room and smiled at Emily. H
is deep brown eyes stu
died
her for a moment
before
he
sat at his desk
.
It took an enormous amount of effort to pretend she was a stranger to him.

Emily felt her pulse begin to race.
Why a
re my hands getting clammy?
Why is he staring at me
so intently?
She wanted to ponder these questions more, but Jake didn’t give her any time.

“So, I understand you’ve been in an accident.” He opened the folder in front of him and gave it a quick scan. He perused the papers for appearances only; he’d already memorized all of the information in the small file.

Jake knew Emily had no memory of him or their time in Santa Monica, but that didn’t stop him from taking in her unrivaled beauty and remembering the very moment she had stepped into his life.
Now he needed to
see
if he could unearth that same memory for Emily
.

As he studied her, Jake sensed an energy building behind
her deep blue eyes,
something that simmered beneath their surface. It wasn’t recognition; no it was something else entirely.

“What can you tell me about it?” He asked. “The accident, do you remember anything?”

Emily realized she was totally staring at the handsome doctor and dragged her eyes away from him while she tried to collect her thoughts. She had to admit that she could have stared at him all day long. It wasn’t just that he was good looking, because he was, but he felt almost like a magnet to her. And she liked the feeling.

“The accident was about ten days ago, and although some pieces have fallen into place, there are still gaping holes in my memory. But almost more troubling than the amnesia is my lack of magic.” Emily shrugged her shoulders and looked back into his eyes. “Hence the witch doctor.” She smiled, trying to make light of her situation, but Jake saw the fear she was trying hard to cover up.

“What if it’s gone?” She asked, “What if I can’t get my magic back?” She looked away, no longer trusting herself or his soulful gaze. His dark eyes were too penetrating. Emily felt like he could read her mind or something. “I feel like I’m missing half of my life.” She finally admitted.

Jake nodded his head in understanding. “Well, fortunately you’re not the only one this has ever happened to.” He felt her anxiety building and tried hard to
subdue
it before it took over. “I’ve had tremendous success with several very similar cases,” he said honestly, trying to win her confidence.