The Witch Is Back

  “Sinjin!” I screamed out and felt the air stirring beneath me as Sinjin materialized just in time to catch me in his large arms. I glanced down at myself, to find I was naked again. When I looked up at Sinjin, he was grinning from ear to ear.

  “You do not realize the immensity of the gift you have,” he said softly, his eyes running down my naked body as his fangs began to lengthen.

  “Gift?” I asked with a smile, loving the expression of pride in his eyes. “Well, one thing I can say is I’m pretty convinced that I’m a witch.”

  He chuckled deeply, heartily. “You are much more than a witch, my pet.”

  “More than a witch?”

  He nodded. “I have never known of any witch or warlock with the power to transform into more than one creature, poppet.” He shook his head in apparent surprise. “You are an anomaly.”

  An anomaly? I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I was having enough trouble just coming to terms with being something super-human. After everyone else decided I was a witch, I sort of figured there must have been some truth to it. But to be something more than a witch? I didn’t even know what that meant, or could possibly mean …

  The next evening, I found myself sitting on my couch, bobbing my leg anxiously as I tried to watch television. I actually had no idea what program was on because my mind was wholly absorbed by Sinjin. We planned to have dinner in at my place (well, dinner for me, anyway) and a nice, relaxed, romantic evening with just the two of us. The night before had been anything but relaxing, what with the Bella drama, so Sinjin had promised to make it up to me tonight.

  Speaking of my last meeting with Sinjin, I still didn’t quite know what to make of everything. Really, for the first time since Sinjin entered my life, I found myself concerned about what was becoming of me. I felt different down to my very core. Yes, I looked different because I was paying more attention to my outward appearance, but the changes within me were much more significant. I was not the same woman today that I had been two months ago. And truth be told, I was struggling with those changes, not the least of which was my ability to morph into two animals. I had no clue what had made that at all possible. How could I, Jolie Wilkins, now turn myself into a tiger and an eagle?

  My mind had been stretching in order to make room for the reality of vampires, witches, and warlocks. It only continued to stretch with the sure knowledge that I was included in this much-esteemed company. Yet I felt as though I’d just about reached my limit after the events of last night. It was almost as if my mind refused to accept any more. What if I had completely lost my mind and was now living in some parallel universe, fueled purely by my imagination? What if Sinjin and Rand were entirely made up? In that case, maybe the lion, tiger, and eagle transmogrifications were hallucinations too? I mean, that would make a hell of a lot more sense than actually accepting the fact that I was still a perfectly sane woman.

  I glanced up at the clock on my wall and noticed it was seven p.m. Sinjin wouldn’t be arriving for at least another thirty minutes. Out the window the sun was on her way out, bathing the world in a darkish rose hue. I never wanted the sun to go down faster than I did now. Although I didn’t want to admit it, and definitely wasn’t comfortable with it, the truth was that I yearned for Sinjin constantly. Whenever I wasn’t with him, he was the only thing on my mind.

  I smiled when I remembered last night—how Sinjin had made love to me repeatedly, how tender he’d been and attentive. He said more than once how terrible he felt about the whole Bella situation and how I had become the most important woman in his life. No one else mattered to him. Well, if Sinjin was just the creation of my befuddled mind, I’d done a damn good job, that was for sure.

  My inner monologue was interrupted by a knock on the door. Puzzled, I glanced at the clock again and realized only ten minutes had elapsed. Looking out my window, I realized dusk had arrived, although it still seemed too light for Sinjin. But apparently I was wrong.

  I stood up and glanced down at my skintight jeans and low-cut black, stretch T-shirt, imagining Sinjin would appreciate my cleavage spilling over the top. I ran my tongue across my teeth to ensure that my pink NARS lip gloss hadn’t smudged and then fluffed my hair a few times. Finally, I felt a smile begin as I opened my front door.

  And instantly my smile vanished.

  My first instinct was to slam the door shut, but he was too quick and, instead, threw all his weight into the door, forcing it open. It was like time stood still as I tried to sidestep him, hoping I could make it through my kitchen to the back door, but he seemed to read my mind. As soon as I made a move for it, he thrust himself forward and knocked me on my butt. I squealed as I hit the ground, but immediately tried to stand up. He was too fast for me. In a split second, he slammed the door shut and threw his body back on me, forcing me down to the floor.

  Bella’s spell hadn’t worked. Or maybe Rand’s magic had been stronger, and he’d broken her charm.

  “Get the hell off me!” I screamed as I pushed against him, but he was way too solid. He pinned my hands down on either side of my head. At his touch, that now familiar sense of electricity coursed through me and those ridiculous feelings of warmth began to well up inside me.

  You are a freaking idiot, Jolie Wilkins! I chided myself. This asshole is probably going to rape you and then kill you and all you can think about is his great energy and how he feels familiar!

  At the realization that I couldn’t fight him, that I was now in serious trouble, I started screaming. He went for my mouth and tried to cover it with his hand but I threw my head left then right, screaming louder in the vain hope my neighbors would hear me.

  “Jolie!” he yelled as he grabbed both of my cheeks with one large hand. “It’s no use—I’ve soundproofed your house!”

  I stopped screaming and tried to struggle from his massive hand, but of course got nowhere. Meanwhile, a continuous flow of terror was contaminating my insides at the realization that no one could hear me. “What the hell do you mean you soundproofed my house?” I finally demanded in a raw voice.

  “Magic,” he answered in a matter-of-fact sort of way. He breathed out a sigh of relief, probably because I was no longer thrashing against him or screaming.

  Neither of us said anything for a few seconds. We just stared at each other as we both tried to get our breathing under control. Rand was the first to speak.

  “I’m not here to hurt you.”

  I shook my head and laughed acidly. “I don’t believe a word you say.” And that was when it occurred to me. If I could just stall him long enough, Sinjin would arrive and there would be hell to pay. I also considered morphing into a tiger and mauling the shit out of him—but then I remembered that whole nudity bit once I returned to normal, and that part didn’t sit so well with me.

  “What do you want?” I demanded.

  He swallowed hard. I couldn’t help but notice how incredibly handsome he was with his chocolate-brown hair, now completely mussed, and his clothes all askew and rumpled. Well, gorgeous warlock or not, he remained dangerous. And that’s what I had to keep in mind.

  “Nothing could keep me from you.”

  “What?” I asked, gulping down the anxiety at the very thought that all this time, he could get to me, Bella’s spell be damned. “How is that even possible?”

  “It’s a long story,” he started and then sighed deeply. “And it’s the reason why I’ve come here. Did you receive my package?”

  I glared at him but nodded. “Yes, I received it.”

  “And did you watch the whole thing?”

  “Yes but that doesn’t mean I believed a word of it.”

  He sighed again, seemingly frustrated. “There’s so much more I need to tell you, so much to explain to you, so you understand.”

  But I shook my head, not wanting to hear another word of his “drivel,” as Sinjin had termed it. Then it suddenly occurred to me that I’d be putting Sinjin in a dangerous situation. I mean, he’d have no idea Rand was here or what
magical abilities Rand had up his sleeve.

  I would never forgive myself if something happened to Sinjin on my account. “I don’t want to hear another lie from you,” I spat back. “I want you to leave.”

  He shook his head and I could see his jaw was tight. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I’m leaving the choice up to you.”

  Sighing, I figured it was probably easier to persuade warlocks with honey than with vinegar. “What’s the easy way?”

  He shrugged. “We sit down, like civilized people, and you listen to what I have to say.”

  “So, after I listen to you, you’ll leave?”

  He took a deep breath and there was something in his eyes that looked hurt, painfully so. Or maybe I was just imagining it. “Yes.”

  I glanced at the clock and realized it was now seven thirty. It was also completely dark outside. Sinjin should be arriving any minute … “I … I have plans tonight but how about tomorrow?”

  “Plans?” Rand’s eyes narrowed, as he seemed to consider my offer. “And how can I be sure you’ll actually show up tomorrow? You haven’t exactly been accommodating thus far.”

  “Well, you know where I live so it’s not like you won’t be able to hunt me down.” I frowned. “Something you’ve already proven you can do.”

  He seemed okay with a rain check and stood up, extending his hand to me as he did so, but I ignored it, pushing myself up and off the floor, dusting my jeans. I wasn’t sure why, but for some reason I no longer felt afraid of him. It was almost as if his consenting to come back tomorrow negated all of my dread. It was weird and probably stupid, to say the least.

  “What is this?” he demanded. Before I could stop him, he brushed my hair away from my neck, and his features contorted with anger when he saw Sinjin’s teeth marks.

  “That fucking bastard!” Rand yelled, his hands fisting at his sides. He turned around and I could see the rage in the tightness of his shoulders. Before I could even blink, he smashed his fist into my door.

  “What is wrong with you?” I yelled, taking a few steps back, suddenly afraid again. Nothing like a pissed-off man unable to control his temper to jar me back to my senses. I mean, I knew he was a dangerous warlock. It shouldn’t have taken an act of what appeared to be jealousy, strangely enough, to assure me of that.

  He turned to face me and there was fury in his dark brown eyes, as well as a certain hollowness and pain. “I should never have let it progress this far,” he said, mostly to himself. Then, before I could guess what would happen next, he lunged for me and grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the door.

  “Let go of me!” I screamed, pulling against him.

  “You’re coming with me, Jolie,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument. “It’s for your own good.”

  I tried to extricate myself from him, but fighting him was useless. He was built like a mountain lion—sleek, yes, but also incredibly strong. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”

  He instantly stopped dragging me and, instead, turned to face me. His expression was completely unreadable, but he didn’t let go of my arm. “You will never forgive Sinjin for what he’s done to you.”

  “What are you talking about?” I yelled as I struggled against him again, trying to pull my arm from his viselike grip. He simply held me tighter. “You’re hurting me!”

  He let go of me then, as if I’d bitten him. I lost my balance as I tripped over my ridiculous wedge sandals and crumbled into a clumsy heap on the floor.

  “This was never meant to happen, Jolie,” Rand said as he approached me again, standing above me. I knew I wouldn’t get far if I tried to bolt, so I stayed put.

  “What was never meant to happen?”

  He looked around himself and waved his hands as if to include everything—us, my house, my neighborhood, the whole world. “It was always you and me.”

  “Sinjin—”

  “Sinjin never had a claim on you!” he interrupted. Then he shook his head as if this whole thing were a big misunderstanding and a damn shame at that.

  “You aren’t making any sense,” I said, my voice softer as I realized I was dealing with someone who wasn’t playing with a full deck. “There’s nothing between you and me and there never was. I don’t even know you!”

  He shook his head and laughed but it was not a happy sound. “That’s where you’re wrong, Jolie. You and I have known each other for years. I taught you everything you know.”

  “But—” I started, shaking my head as I tried to comprehend his statement.

  “The life you’re leading now is a farce—it’s all because that bastard Sinjin wanted you for himself and he knew the only way he’d have a chance in hell of wooing you away from me was to make contact with you first.”

  “That doesn’t even make any sense!” I yelled at him again and stood up, wrapping my arms around myself protectively. “Look, I don’t know who the hell you are …”

  Then he was in front of me, grabbing my shoulders and holding me still. I could feel his breath fanning the naked skin of my chest and I closed my eyes. “Yes, you do, Jolie,” he said softly, whispering as my breathing lengthened. There was just something so familiar about him, something that made me want to yield to him.

  Resist the feelings, Jolie! I yelled at myself. It’s nothing but his warlock magic trying to charm you, making you feel like you’ve known him forever!

  It can’t be. We’re close—I can feel it in my blood, in the center of my being.

  You haven’t even known him two weeks!

  Then why do I feel like this? I argued. I know this man. I’ve known him for a long time. I can feel it. And you can’t deny it either.

  “It’s impossible,” I said out loud and shook my head, opening my eyes and focusing on the dark chocolate pools of his.

  “What’s impossible?” Rand asked, his eyes searching, pleading.

  “I. Don’t. Know. You.”

  He took a deep breath and shook his head, even as I fought the need to believe everything he said. “You know me—deep down, I know you do.”

  But I refused to give into the part of me that wanted to believe him. Instead, I forced myself to consider how absurd the whole thing was. I had only just met him when he walked into my store. He and I meant nothing to each other; we weren’t even acquaintances. “You must have me confused with someone else.”

  “No,” he said, anger and frustration returning to his voice. He shook his head adamantly. “I have known you intimately, Jolie, I’ve known you like no other man ever could.”

  I swallowed hard. I knew he meant in more ways than just sexually, but it was the sexual connotation that made me blush right down to my feet. I dropped my gaze to my shaking hands, trying to figure out my next course of action, inventing a plan of escape.

  “Look at me,” he said, and I wasn’t sure why, but I acquiesced. When I did, I felt the urge to believe him grow stronger. I felt that same sense of familiarity welling up inside me all over again.

  “Stop doing that,” I whispered, afraid because I could feel myself succumbing to the power he wielded over me. As strange as it sounded and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, there was still something in me that needed to believe him, and to accept him.

  “Doing what?”

  “Making me feel things that aren’t real.”

  He chuckled then, heartily. “It is real, Jolie. Whatever you’re feeling for me is real.”

  “No, it isn’t.” I paused, taking a deep breath. “It’s your magic.”

  He pulled me closer to him, and I was surprised at my lack of resistance. It was the same as it had been when he came to my store—as if I dissolved into mush in his hands. “No it’s not my magic—it’s the connection between us.”

  I closed my eyes and shook my head, feeling as if everything I knew, my entire world, was now under siege again. “I met you only a week or two ago,” I started, reminding myself more than him.

  “Jolie, I walked into your store two years ag
o and I’ve loved you ever since.”

  I felt my eyes open wide as I tried to make sense of his words. “Loved me?” I repeated, shocked.

  He nodded and smiled almost shyly. My entire body began to quake from the inside out, to shake with the need to touch him, kiss him. I forced the feelings down, straining to recognize them for what they were—the spell of a master magician and nothing more.

  “You have been the only woman in my life and you will continue to be the only woman I could ever love.”

  And that was all it took—just a brief reminder of a similar sentiment from Sinjin—to remind me that Rand was not the one I was meant to be with, that everything he was telling me was a lie. I loved Sinjin, that’s all there was to it. “You need to leave,” I said frigidly.

  “Don’t fight this, Jolie.” He looked into my eyes, and I couldn’t pull my gaze away. “God, you are so beautiful,” he said and I felt my heart flutter at his words. “You have no idea how worried I’ve been about you, how much I’ve missed you.”

  Then his lips were on mine and I was shocked and disgusted with myself when I did nothing to fight him. In fact, I welcomed his lips and encouraged his tongue to find entrance into my mouth. He ran his hands through my hair and I felt myself melt against him.

  “My, my! Such a happy little couple.”

  I heard Sinjin’s voice. I pulled away from Rand and turned to Sinjin in the doorway, but he didn’t seem upset in the least. Rather, he appeared merely entertained. He was wearing that smirky smile, but when I looked at his eyes I realized he was livid.

  “Sinjin. I … I don’t know what happened,” I started, realizing how completely horrible this situation looked. He’d basically just walked in on me kissing another man.

  He faced me, shaking his head. “Do not apologize, little poppet. The warlock’s coercive powers were too much for you to fend off.”

  I glanced at Rand and didn’t know what to think. Had it been his magic all along that caused me to feel and act this way? Maybe, but there was definitely something inside me that felt as if I were right where I needed to be—in his arms. I almost felt as if I’d come home.