Something Witchy This Way Comes (25 page)

Chapter Twenty-two

Hayden

Maybe I’d been going about it all wrong. I assumed that like with any other girl, once I got a taste, it would be enough. But each time I kissed Tessa, I wanted her more. I only had peace when we studied in the library and all my focus went into whatever she was teaching me.

When did I become so anxious to be smarter?

Damn Tessa. I’d been fine before her. I had plenty of girls, more friends than I needed and endless parties where I could lose myself. Life had been perfect.

No, it hadn’t been. I’d been coasting through each day, getting away with whatever I could and had stood by while others got hurt. Not a very nice person. No wonder Tessa kept shrinking from me. Amazing she didn’t bolt.

I didn’t care for Ms. Phillips or Mr. Linton, but they had been right about one thing. It was up to me to create my future. Tessa was right too. My life wasn’t anyone’s responsibility except mine. And if Tessa didn’t want to be with me, it was my own fault. These truths were almost too much to swallow, but I forced them down.

From now on, I’d leave Tessa alone. Well, not totally alone. We still needed to work together. But I’d do my best not to put her in a position that forced her to kiss me or reject me. She deserved better.

Someone like Chait.

My gut knotted, thinking about them together. But as ill as the thought made me, I knew he was the better man. If they ever got together, I’d get through it. If I could overcome the years of beatings, I could get through anything life threw at me. Eventually.

After dinner at Tessa’s house and she bathed Bree, we packed up Bree’s favorite blanket and a bag of other stuff then headed to my place. While Bree watched a cartoon, Tessa helped me practice reading mental pictures.

“Uhm…” Tessa fiddled with a sports magazine on my coffee table. “You’re learning quickly. You might want to do yourself a favor and avoid your step-dad.”

I groaned. If I had to see what went on inside his twisted mind, I might have to kill him.

“Or you need to get very good at blocking.” She sighed. “It’s not easy. I mean, it’s easy to block other sorcerers from seeing into your head, but it’s harder to stop the normal people’s visuals from coming in.”

But if I got the right information from Sam that way, could I use it to make him behave? “Hey, what happened with Brad?”

She laughed, the lilt in her voice musical. “I said something to make him think of the thing he found most humiliating. When I saw the image, I dropped some of the details and told him that if he ever picked on anyone again, he could depend on everything going public.”

“Clever.” I grinned.

Chait arrived and I opened the door, glancing at Tessa.

She smiled. “Hey, Chait.”

“Hi.” Chait grinned back.

Yep, I didn’t like the way he looked at her. Not at all.

Chait froze and stared at me.

He knew.

Tessa was right. Once you worked your magic, you opened up and everyone sensed it.

“This is a surprise.” He turned to Tessa, brows drawn together. “Is that why you asked me over?”

“Yeah. We’d like to keep it quiet as long as possible.” Tessa flipped her hair as she glanced at Bree and returned her attention to Chait. “We’re hoping you’ll help us.”

“Both of you? Or just you.” He grinned at Tessa again.

“Both,” she replied.

“What do you need from me?” he asked.

“Sorcerers have certain physical abilities. We want you to coach us. That and share anything else we need to know.” She nodded toward the dining room. “Would you like to sit?”

Chait nodded, then made himself comfortable at the dining room table.

Nope, still didn’t like him. But we needed him and I should be a good host. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Whatever soda you have. Wait. Got any beer?”

 “As a matter of fact…” I chuckled and plucked a bottle out of the fridge, popped the cap and passed it to Chait.

He took a swig and set it down. “Nothing like underage drinking. So what’s the plan?”

Tessa sat across from him. “Can we practice with you in our free time?”

“Sure.”

“So you’ll help us and not tell anyone?” she asked.

“Yeah, but it won’t be long before everyone knows.” He chugged about a quarter of the bottle. “Are we starting tonight?”

“We’d like to.” She gave a sheepish smile. “Can you hang around until I get Bree to bed? It’ll be quick.”

Popping the lid on my own beer, I took the chair between Tessa and Chait.
I should have offered to read Bree a bedtime story rather than stay with Chait. But if I wasn’t alone with him, Tessa would be. I opted for silence and hanging out with my nemesis.

“You guys are different tonight,” Chait commented once Tessa had gone into the guest bedroom with Bree.

“Different how?”

“She seems calmer, happier. And you’re less douche-baggy.” He casually took another sip of the beer.

“I could change that,” I said.

“Oh, I know you could.” Chait suppressed a smile.

“Maybe she’s happier, because she got all that sexual tension released.” I didn’t hold back my smile.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” He studied my face. “But you two aren’t
together
.”

“No.” I could have lied but it would be too easy to get caught.

“You still want her though.” It wasn’t a question.

If I said I didn’t want Tessa, I’d be giving up my claim and clearing a path for him. If I admitted it, I looked like a loser who couldn’t get the girl.

Game over.

I needed a distraction, so I took another swig of my beer. “How much do you trust Rena?”

“Lately, not so much. She used to be extremely reliable. Got the job done. Rena doesn’t look like it but she’s a fierce warrior. We usually pair up to tra
in the newbies, so they’re not completely defenseless. If you join us, your fighting skills would come in handy for that.” Chait easily switched from competitor to instructor in
a blink of an eye, as if we’d never been at odds. It made me wonder if he had any real animosity at all. Maybe he liked toying with me. Maybe if I didn’t always start it…

Who was I kidding? If I had a chance to get in a barb, I’d take it.

“Besides handling newbies, what do you guys do? You couldn’t be sitting around waiting all day while Tessa’s at school. Where do you get your money to live on?”

“Been saving up the questions, huh?” He chuckled, lifted the bottle to his lips again and swallowed. “The less ethical ones run cons. It’s easy to do since we know what’s going on in people’s heads. Makes playing poker more profitable. Our group doesn’t scam people. Some of us work jobs or run companies in the normal world. Some are old enough to have invested wisely and live off the interest. The organization as a whole owns various corporations. People like me who have specific jobs get paid. I’m a trainer.”

My trust fund would last a while and one day I’d get a sizable inheritance. But if I lived as long as other sorcerers, I’d eventually need more. I’d have to learn to invest wisely. “Where do you live?”

“We move around a lot. A few weeks or months in one place isn’t long enough to buy a house and settle in. Living separately, it’s difficult to keep tabs on everyone and stay safe. So we rent a bigger house, set up security and it’s less stressful. Everyone watches each other’s backs. We usually get along pretty good. If someone’s getting on our nerves, we move into a room further away so we don’t run into them as often.”

“Tessa told me you guys had a Blocker. Who is it?”

“Rena.”

“Look at you two playing nice," Tessa said, taking a seat between Chait and me.

“We weren’t. He won. Game over.” I grinned.

“He won? What did he win?”

“Chait got in the last dig. I moved on.”

One side of her mouth curled up. “How grown up of you, Hayden. I’m impressed.”

“Me too.” Chait chuckled and stood. “If you guys want to dazzle everyone with your powers, you don’t have much time. Hayden, if you go to Tessa’s work and one of us shows up, the secret’s out, just like that.”

“My next shift is Thursday, so we only have tonight and tomorrow.”

“Let’s get on with it then,” Chait said. “The first thing you need to know is what we’re capable of. Tessa, have you practiced moving things?”

“No, only jumping mental hurdles so far.”

“Okay, let’s start with something small and easy.” He placed his empty beer bottle in the center of the table. “Whatever you want the bottle to do, see it in your head.” The bottle slowly rose, then stopped about six inches into the air then floated to the table. “Hayden, try it.”

I focused on it, willing it to move, but it stayed put.

“It’s not hard. It’s all in here.” He pointed to his temple. “Look at the bottle. In your head, visualize it floating in the air. The important part is
knowing
that as soon as you make the decision, it’s done. Try it again.”

Tessa laughed when the bottle ascended for me exactly the way it had for Chait.

I made sure the bottle didn’t fall and break, seeing it in my mind floating back to the table. “You try it,” I told her.

She nodded and the bottle immediately made its way toward the ceiling.

“Why was it so much easier for her?” I asked Chait.

“More experience, I guess. She hasn’t necessarily moved objects, but she’s been getting used to being a sorcerer for over a week. You’ve only had, what, a few hours?”

Chait had missed a perfectly good opportunity to put me down. If he kept it up, I’d have no reason to beat his ass. That would be disappointing.

“Okay, next.” He scanned the room. “The fireplace. You’re going to move the fibers in that log so fast, a fire starts.”

“Seriously?” I asked.

“Yes. But if you’re afraid, Tessa can go first.”

I groaned at his childish comment. 

“I’ll give it a try,” Tessa said, moving to the fireplace. She focused on a log and seconds passed. Nothing.

“It’s the same principle as with anything else. See the fire.” Still nothing happened. Chait moved behind Tessa. “Try it again.”

Sparks flew and a tiny wisp of flame appeared on the log. “Beautiful,” Chait said. “Your turn, Hayden.”

I stood next to Tessa and fixed a stare at a different log in the fireplace. In my head, I could see a giant flame raging. But in reality, the log remained free of flames. “Hold on. I’ll try again.” I concentrated on one end, seeing the molecules moving in my mind, then the sparks and flame. Seconds later, it materialized before my eyes. “That’s how it’s done.”