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“So, who will be there?”

“Jack and yourself.”

He watched a puzzled expression cross her face that had, he imagined, only seconds before flickered across his own.

“Fine, when is the best time for you?” She looked at him now.

“Any time is fine with me; I can practise better at my cottage.”

He caught the uncomfortable shift in her footing. “Or would that be a problem?” He held back the satisfied smirk.

“No, no problem. What about tomorrow after work?
”

“Cora, you can take the day off work.”

“Great, we can have a full day at it.”

“Sure, see you around ten?” Cora asked.

“Okay.”

She walked away arm in arm with Tabitha. That pair always seemed to be whispering about something. Clay was stood talking to Eli, he couldn’t see Clio.

“Where did Clio head off to?” he said as he approached Eli.

“She needed to go. She said get in touch with her if you needed her for more practice but she will be working with Ayden at some point.”

“I know, Tabitha just told me that I’m going to be working with Cora tomorrow at the cottage.”

“Oh, good, are you going to work on your levitating?”

“Hmmm. But I will be working only with Cora.”

He watched as Eli digested what he'd said. Eli seemed to be coping with everything far better than he was.

“I don’t know how to do that. How can you forget everything that girl has done to our family?”

An expression, one that screamed protective and jealous, crossed Clay's face.

“You will cope because that is the best thing we can do. We have to adapt to the situation. I ordered some newel posts and spindles that are piled up in the back garden, you can use them.”

“Okay. Will do. Come on, let’s head home. Tabitha and Cora have already gone.”

             
Clay shot one last brooding look in the direction of Cora's house and headed to the cottage ahead of them, his feet stomping on the hard ground. Jack knew that Clay didn't like that he was working with Cora alone. He wouldn't tell him this because he enjoyed the control he had. He didn't want Cora, but this wouldn’t stop him from having fun teasing Clay about it.

Chapter 34

OUTBURST

“Tab, I had the dream again.”

“Are you okay?” Tabitha asked concerned.

“Yeah, I think so.”

Ever since she'd found out the Corenthio Coven were coming she'd had dreams involving her mother. With the phone against her ear she looked at the old photo Tabitha had given her.

“What happened in this one?”

“She tried to tell me something about family, Jack’s family or my family, I’m not sure. Images were flashing so quickly they became more of a blur and then I woke up. I've only just managed to understand that the flashing images are coming from her and now she wants me to learn them faster.”

Tabitha sighed, obviously as frustrated as Cora.

“Have you asked Eli? Is Jack having dreams?”

“I've asked but Eli said Jack hasn’t mentioned any dreams to him.”

“If he was having them I'm sure we would know about it. They're horrible. On the one hand I’m so happy to see my mum in the weird crazy way that I am, but on the other hand  it frustrates me when she can’t tell me what she needs. When she opens her mouth nothing comes out. She came to tell me something and I’m not hearing it.”

“You will, Cora, please don’t worry.”

“I can’t help it. She was mouthing the words ‘see the truth’ but by the time I’d managed to lip read she was flashing images in my head. See what truth?”

“I don’t know, Cora. You will find out. Approach the subject with Jack today.”

“Sure, because we have such great conversations already, I feel like I can walk up to him and say: 'oh Jack, what lovely weather we're having, by the way have you been having conversations with your dead mother in your dreams?”

“All right, Miss Sarcasm,” Tabitha laughed.

“I'm not comfortable with this training session. Yeah, recently he's acted okay but to be on my own with him? He could start something and I won't sit back and take it.”

“Yes, our situation is a little dire right now but we are working to solve that. If he starts something contact a member of your coven. We will deal with it.”

She would deal with it herself.

“I know this whole situation is hard for you but this is something we have to do to make sure you are both protected. Now, stop whining about it and get on with it. Ring me if you have any more thoughts on your dreams. Love to you.”

“You too.” She ended the call and slid out of bed.

She pulled a t-shirt over her head when her phone buzzed softly on the duvet. She glanced at the screen and sighed.

“Clay.” She didn’t even have the patience to say hi.

“We need to talk,” he said pleading with her.

“We talk, Clay. We talk nearly every day.”

“I mean properly.”

“We talk.”

“You know what I mean. It's not the same.”

“Okay.”

“Okay... okay, what?”

“Okay, I’ll see you.” She knew she had to sort this out.

“When?”

“After I've finished the training session today.” Before the sentence had left her mouth she was sure she heard a growl coming from him.

“I don't trust him.”

“I'm capable of looking after myself, Clay.” She didn't trust Jack either but didn’t need Clay coming in to save her. She could do it herself.

“Fine. I'll see you tonight.”

She ended the call refusing to think about Clay for a second longer. Why had she answered the damn call to begin with?

             
The dull white cottage was closer to her house than she liked but other than uprooting the house, or smashing it to bits, there was nothing she could do about it. She opened the waist high gate making her way up the multi-coloured brick path to the front door. Colourful plant pots littered the little porch area. Standing in front of the royal blue door, she took a deep breath. Before she had a chance to lift her hand and knock, Jack opened it.

“Hey, come on in.” He moved aside allowing her room to enter.

             
She stepped into a small living room. A natural brick fireplace was the main focal point. The rustic brick contrasted beautifully with the crimson paint on the walls. A television sat on a stand in the corner nearest the window. A wide book case holding a mixture of books and DVD's stood against the other wall. She spotted the leather book on the small coffee table.

“I thought we could practise outside, at least it’s nice and cool.” He threw her a weak smile as he opened a door into what looked like the kitchen.

She shuffled behind him as he led the way through a spacious, nicely decorated kitchen out in to the garden.

“Eli said we could use the decking posts. I’ve tried to lift some this morning and so far my magic number is six. I can lift them around twenty feet in the air with me standing on the ground.”

She didn’t believe that for a second. “How much do they weigh?”

They trudged towards the mound of wood.

“I’m not sure to be honest. I started with one then worked my way up. Eli left pretty early this morning so I made a start.”

“Right, shall we get started then?” She needed to sound like she was in charge; it helped push the nerves away.

“Yeah... do you want a drink or anything?” He pushed his hands through his hair; his eyes looked wider today, more alert. They stood out on his pale face, large dark buttons that were now looking intently at her.

She shifted her feet. “I think we should get started first.”

He smiled then headed to the mound. “Right, I think I’ll do seven now.”

“Yeah, then at least we know what to work with. Perhaps you could go up with them?”

He wouldn't be able to do it and she knew it, that's why she'd suggested it. Jack nodded and then jumped straight into the air, just like that. Posts from the mound started rising up to him. Lifting her hand to shield her eyes against the bright winter sun that was dipped low in the sky, she watched as the posts circled around him.

“Now, can you pick up a few more of the posts?”

             
She didn’t need a reply as three posts lifted in unison. They joined the circle currently dancing around him in the air. He was making this look easy. She lifted a post and judged that three or four posts would make up the average weight of a person and he had the equivalent of two people up there with him. That would be the same as Clay and Clio yesterday. He wasn’t really pushing himself, not yet.

“How about you pick up four more?”

She could see the lines crease in his forehead. She knew exactly what he was feeling, the way muscles rippled in protest when they were flexed to their limit. It made you want to scream with the effort.

             
The four posts lifted rather more steadily than the previous ones. She watched as they stopped swirling around him, now they just hung like dead sticks. She tried to hide the smirk on her face.

“Something funny?”

“No.” She wiped her hand over her mouth. How had he noticed? “I was just wondering how much more you could take up there.”

“I could take you.”

That single comment froze the breath in her lungs. This was what she'd been trying to avoid, the constant power challenge between them. How could she respond?

“Cora, may I use my power to levitate you?”

How could she say no now? If someone asks politely, how can you say no?

“Sure.”

             
Before she had a chance to change her mind, she felt the pull on her body, the feeling of cling film encasing her and pulling her to him. On the previous occasions she'd not felt this sensation, having had little time to think about it before crashing into something hard.

             
The pulling stopped. Her legs dangled. She bobbed in the air fifteen, maybe twenty feet up. It wouldn’t be wise to anger him at this moment in time. Glancing up at him, she could clearly see the strain; his eyes were blazing, the chocolate melting. The muscles in his arms popped.

“I’m struggling. I can’t get you to the same level as me.”

“Yes you can. Pull the power to you, feel it inside your body, build it.”

She waited, giving him time to think this through and start the process. Who was she to tell him how to do it? She hadn’t mastered her own element yet. The pull returned. She'd moved very little when she felt a force pushing her down. Before she could say something the ground was zooming towards her. She collided with hard dirt.

             
She rolled over taking the weight from her ankles, fearful they would snap on impact. They screamed at her, two mini heart beats throbbed more sporadically than the one in her chest. She looked over as Jack descended. He thudded down next to her.

“Cora, are you okay? I’m sorry.... I couldn’t hold it.”

She closed her eyes trying to breathe away the pain. A post crashed to the ground narrowly missing her by inches.

“Sorry.” Jack leaned over her shoving the post away.

“Its okay, no one got hurt.” She grimaced as she moved to a crouching position and then an idea came to her. “I was thinking.” Well, she was trying to think but his intense gaze was really putting her off. Why was he staring at her like that? She shook herself realising she'd stopped speaking and he was still watching her. “Well, you could do that again with ten posts and I could join you but add my element into the mix.”

His eyes traced the lines of her face.

“Okay.” He shrugged. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

He stood up holding out his hand for her. She looked at it, looked at him. Thinking the world wouldn't end if she accepted his help, she placed her hand in his. His hand felt warm and sweaty as he pulled her up but her ankle gave way. He grabbed her arms keeping her steady and upright. Without his support she would have fallen on her face.

“Have you hurt your ankle?” he asked, concern evident in his voice.

“I just fell on it too hard when I hit the floor, it doesn’t matter.”

“Come on, we can go inside to get some ice on it.”

His arm slid around her waist pulling her against his lean, rather deceptive muscular body which created a heat she didn't entirely feel comfortable with. Her heart palpitated, the beats worrying.

             
He placed her gently in a chair and walked to the freezer. Taking out a bag of frozen peas, he moved towards her.