Year of the Witch (5 page)

“We’ll see.  I can tell them I somehow tripped the alarm and frightened them or something.  Get out of here, Sean!  Hurry!”  While I was enjoying the view, I watched with amazement as my backpack fell to the floor and in a whir of movement, Sean shifted from human to wolf form.  His tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth as he darted off.  And I never thought he’d looked more handsome.

Aye, dear Goddess!  I slammed my hand into my head at my own thought.  He truly was my protector.  Grams had chosen him for me.  Or perhaps fate had.  According to the Sayter family Book of Shadows, I was not the only witch to have interactions with a golden wolf.  I hoped that when Ben got here, he would not notice the book I was taking home.  I had to read more of it to figure out what this all meant.

“Hello?  Council security.  Come into the light.  Are you okay, miss?”

I was relieved to see the two security guards.  Ben came up quickly behind them. 

“My word, Trina.  Are you alright?”  Ben asked.  “What happened?  I thought you’d left long ago.”  He rushed towards me in a hug.  I finally let the fear and adrenaline take over.  I felt weak and shaky as he guided me to a chair. 

“Can you tell us what happened, Miss Sayter?” asked one of the guards.

I nodded and asked for a glass of water first.  I needed a moment to collect my thoughts and come up with a story that sounded half way believable, after all.  For my safety—and Sean’s, I thought—I wasn’t ready to share yet anything about a golden wolf to Ben.  Had he read that book?  If so, why hadn’t he shared it with me? 

Chapter Twenty-One

            Ben called Sean to come pick me up, knowing that I was still somewhat flustered by what had happened.  I watched from a distance as he appeared to scold Sean for leaving my side, even though I had instructed him to do so.  I felt bad that Sean was being yelled at for something he, in fact, had not done. 

            Ben lifted my backpack off the ground and handed it me.  “Good Goddess, Trina.  What on earth do you have in there?  Bricks?”

            I hurriedly took the pack from him before he got too curious and opened it.  “Oh, you know, the usual—Geometry book, history book.  I think they get bigger and heavier every year.”  I quickly set the backpack in Sean’s car, away from Ben.  I couldn’t explain my sense of protection and privacy over this book, but I knew it was what I needed to do right now.

            After a promise from Ben not to call my mother and worry her, Sean and I took off towards home.  Ben promised he would call me if they got any leads on who the wolves were or what they might have wanted from me.

            “So, Trina,” asked Sean.  “What’s really in the backpack?”

            “What do you mean?” I asked him innocently.

            “Look, I haven’t seen you crack open a textbook, much less carry one, in the last several months.  So fess up, chickie.  What did you take from the Council’s library?”

            I looked at Sean with what I hoped was enough feigned hurt feelings that it was believable.  Hmmm, apparently not.

            “Look, I found a book in there with my family crest.  Why would that be there and not with Gram’s things?  And why would Ben keep it from me?  Is there something I’m not supposed to know or what?  And seriously, chickie?  Really?”  I chuckled.

            “Maybe Ben didn’t know about the book either.  Have you thought of that possibility?” 

            “Well, what concerns me is that the guys that attacked me in the library knew about it.  They told me to hand it over.  So whatever is in there must be important.”

            “Trina, I’m sure Ben needed to know that.”  Sean sighed in frustration.

            “I’m not ready to share that with him yet.  Okay, Sean?  Please trust me on this and give me some time to read it and examine it further.  That’s all I ask.  Then we can tell him about it if you still think I should.  Besides, at some point I think I’ll be ready to confront him about why he hasn’t shared it before now.”

            Sean shrugged.  “Don’t be too hasty and jump to conclusions.  That’s all I ask.”

            I nodded and settled into the seat.  We were almost to the house.  I was ready for a shower and my bed.  Sean opened my car door for me.  I must have dozed off because I hadn’t even realized the car had stopped.  I got out and leaned into him.  I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him hard.

            “Thank you, Sean.  I knew you wouldn’t leave me.”

            Sean nodded in return but said nothing.  I could see that he was fighting his feelings or instincts or whatever by controlling his reaction to me. 

            “I left you a sort of belated birthday gift in your room,” Sean said as we stepped inside the house.  “I wanted you to know I didn’t forget.  I just knew you weren’t ready before.  I hope you like it.”  He smiled at me and my heart fluttered for a second.

Chapter Twenty-Two

            I raced up the stairs, anxious to see what the gift was.  A bracelet?  A necklace?  Naw, too romantic probably.  Although that would be fine by me now.  Maybe a new journal or a book.  He knew I was always reading or writing.  I opened the door and shut it behind me.  This was a private moment.  My first real birthday gift from a boy that I knew liked me, maybe more.  I scanned the room for a gift-wrapped box.  Nothing.  Maybe a small gift bag.  No.  I leaned against the bed and looked under.  Perhaps there had been a draft and the gift had fallen to the floor.  Nope, nothing.

            I sunk onto my bed, slightly disappointed.  I leaned back against the pillows, somewhat confused.  I was missing it, whatever it was.  Just then I heard a muffled mew from behind the pillows I was leaning against.  I sat up, startled, and waited.  A tiny, furry solid black kitten with large green eyes walked out.  She stretched, yawned, then sat down and looked at me.  I laughed out loud.  She meowed at me then walked up onto my chest, purring and waiting for me to pet her.

            “Well, she seems to like you alright.”  I heard Sean’s voice from the doorway.  He opened the door a crack.  “Sorry, couldn’t help it.  I wanted to see what you thought.  I did a little research a learned that every good witch needs a familiar.”

            “Way to go with the stereotypical black cat for the witch.  Cute touch.  But thanks so much, Sean.  She is adorable.”

            “Actually, I wasn’t shooting for stereotypical—she was just the last kitten at the shelter that hadn’t been adopted yet.  I felt sorry for her.  Wish I could say the same about how she felt about me.”  Sean held out his hands and arms.  Tiny claw marks, scratches, and bites covered them.  He chuckled, “Yeah, it’s true, I guess.  Cats and dogs are not friends, after all.”

            “Oh, you poor baby!”  I shrieked.

            “Ah, I’ll be okay,”  said Sean, slightly amused.

            “Not you, you big dufus!”  I snatched up the little ball of fur.  “This poor little one.  She must have been so confused and frightened.  It’s okay now, little one.  I’ve got you, B.B.”

            “B.B.?” Sean asked.  “What’s that stand for?  I actually wasn’t thinking of something so nice, myself.”

            “Sean, shame on you.  I’m sure you confused her with your scent.”  I laughed as she hissed at him now.  “But I do appreciate the trouble you went to for me.  It’s sweet. And B.B. is for Black Beauty.”

            “Huh, I guess that will work.”  Sean stepped towards the door to leave the room.  “I’m just glad that you like her.”  He placed his hand on the doorknob.

            I set the kitten on the bed and, despite her mewing protests, walked over to Sean.  I pushed the door shut, which seemed to both confuse and startle him.

            “Thank you, seriously,” I said, and wrapped my arms around him once again.  This was starting to become a habit.  I tilted my head back and looked up at him.  That was all the encouragement he needed.  This time when he kissed me, I kissed him back.  For a few moments I felt that we were both floating until my ringing cell phone snapped me back into awareness.  I reached for it, hit the green button, and the speaker phone.  I wasn’t ready to let go of him just yet.

            “We’ll get you next time, witch.  You and your wolf.”  Click.

Chapter Twenty-Three

            We were all sitting on the floor of my room.  I had called an emergency meeting, and Devon and Rachel had rushed right over.  I was surprised to see that Jake had driven them.  Since my few kisses with Sean, I had thought less about Jake.  Okay, fine, truth be told, not at all.  I guess I was finally over my childhood crush and maybe on to my first love. 

            The kitten alternated between sitting on my lap and Devon’s lap.

            “You little traitor,”  I said to the kitten.  Devon laughed out loud.  Seriously.  I looked to see if Rachel had indeed heard it as well.  She smiled at me.

            I told them all my story of what had happened that day at the library.  It included backtracking to catch them up on the fact that Sean was indeed our mysterious shape shifter, as I had discovered that night of the dance.  It finished with me telling them how he’d saved me in the library.  Sean encouraged me to include the part about the book.  I still had not showed him the various parts I had found about my witch ancestors and their personal interactions with golden wolves, as well. 

            “I agree with Sean,” said Rachel.  “Maybe Ben just didn’t know about the book.  I can’t imagine he would keep it from you on purpose.  He’s been nothing but good to you and your family—to all of us.”

            “Maybe Ben didn’t know about it—maybe he did,” said Devon.  “But my bet is that Grams hid it there for safekeeping.  I mean, c’mon, where better to hide a book than in a library full of them.”  We all processed that for a moment, and she continued.  “I’m sure Grams knew you would find it sooner or later.  And you did, you were drawn to it, you said, right?”

            “Okay, so if we go with that theory,” I pondered out loud, “What is in that book that is so important it had to be hidden, even from other Council members?  So important that these other shifters want to see it, too?”

            “Trina?” asked Sean.  “Do you trust us all?  I mean, I think maybe we need to go through this book page by page together to discover just what makes this book so important.  You and the other witches can judge the contents on possible dangers to you or the coven.  And I can see if I pick up on something affecting our clan or the other shifters.  What do you think?”

            I think he looked adorable sitting on the floor of my room, barefoot in his jeans and white t-shirt.  I thought it was cute to watch him try to ignore that little black ball of fur hissing at him every now and then. 

            “Trina?”  Devon called my name and brought me back from my little daydream.  “Well, at least we know why that kitten hates your boyfriend.”  Everyone laughed.  I relaxed a little and sat back against my bed.  I felt Sean’s fall around my shoulder.  Boyfriend sounded good.

            “Trina?  Hello, Earth to Trina?”  It was Rachel this time.  “Look, I think Sean’s right.  We need to figure out why this book is so important, especially since they know you have it; and they want it.  Can you tell us anything you’ve read in it so far that might give you some idea?”

            “Not really.  So far it seems to be a journal written by lots of my different ancestors.  I saw spells, prayers, dreams—things like that.  It’s called the Book of Shadows.”

            “Sounds kind of ominous,” said Rachel.  “Let’s get started.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

            We decided we would catalog our findings in the sections I had mentioned.  Plus, we included an extra heading for anything possibly pertaining to the shifters.  It was time consuming, since I refused to let anyone remove any of the pages from the original binding of the book.  We alternated taking breaks and running out to pick up dinner.  Finally, we decided to call it a night.  I watched out the window as Jake once again picked up the girls. 

            “Bother you?” asked Sean, coming up behind me.  He slid his arms around my waist, and I leaned back into him comfortably.

            “Not a bit, and you know it.”  I nudged him playfully with my elbow.

            “I think I’ve got it in me to keep working for another hour or two if you do,” said Sean.  He pulled me over, and we plopped back down on the floor of my room.  I was slightly anxious.  I knew that the first passage I had seen about the witch dreaming of the golden wolf was within the next few pages.  I wondered what kind of reaction Sean might have to it.  What if us falling for each other was all because of a prophecy or whatever?  I decided to merely tailor my reaction off of his at this point in time.

            I closed my eyes and must have dozed off.  I awoke to Sean shaking me and yelling at me excitedly.      

            “Trina, Trina, wake up…you’ve got to listen to this.”

            I sat up and rubbed my eyes.   Sean began reading from a passage:

            “And it shall be the legacy of the Sayter family line that the youngest witch of every third generation shall lead her coven within the protection of the Council and the Guild.  The Goddess shall provide the stability of the Earth element through the binding of the new and old.  The young fledgling herself will provide the elements of Air and Water, through her own knowledge and dreams.  And the element of Fire shall provide the ultimate protection through the presence of the chosen one from the Guild—the golden wolf.”

            “What the hell, Trina?!  This book is talking about me and you.  It was no coincidence that I was chosen by the Guild to protect you.  It’s some sort of prophecy.  I don’t understand.”  Sean ran his hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.  “So, what?  We had no choice in this?  Emotionally, we’re bound together because centuries of some stupid spell say so?  Yes, I was and still am drawn to you.  But I know you love Jake.  You shouldn’t have to be with me because some stupid prophecy says so.”  Sean tossed the book onto my bed and was out the window so fast that I hadn’t even had a chance to get up off the floor.  By the time I got to the window, I saw that he had shifted and was running away from me.  I caught a final glimpse of his gold-streaked tail as he skirted through the weeds.