Green Witch: A Timberhall Trial

Part 7

 Jaimie let out a deep sigh as she took her name tag off and dropped it into her bag. She crossed the parking lot to where she'd parked in a corner, a tree shaded it from the summer sun. Her hand had barely touched the handle when someone cleared their throat behind her. When Jaimie turned to see Dusk, an overwhelming urge to run swept through her but she stood her ground. She didn't know if she could speak to him.

Assume you're always being tested.

Would she fail if she spoke to him? Wasn't that what she wanted? Dusk leaned against the tree with his arms crossed, dressed in a loose t-shirt and pants. He didn't look like the young man who only wore checkered shirts or even well worn tunics and cargo pants he normally wore when appearing with his parents. The thought crossed Jaimie's mind that he appeared more natural. Though his expression was far from friendly, anger flashing in his eyes.

Finally, when Jaimie couldn't stand the silence any longer, she asked, "Have a done something wrong?"

Dusk let out a humorless laugh. "Did you do anything to them?"

Jaimie didn't have to fake the confusion that was surely written all over her face. She assumed he meant their family but she'd kept her head buried. Other than scouting, a task no one wanted since it left you vulnerable while "reading" plant life to discern the emotions left around them. It was a large, lonely trek as the poor witch tasked with it that week tried to tell if ill will was being sent towards the family. Another reason Jaimie had turned into a hermit. Her feelings were too conflicted. But maybe her doubts had been discovered despite her attempts.

She resisted the urge to lick lips that suddenly felt like sandpaper. "I'd never do anything to hurt our family."

"Aren't you a loyal little witch," Dusk said in a mocking tone. In a sudden motion, he pushed himself from the tree. Standing almost nose to nose with Jaimie, Dusk spoke in a tone deeper than she thought possible. "Don't you dare hurt my family." 

"What? Your parents? I couldn't." She didn't need to add even if I wanted to.

"Jaimie. You're smarter than this." Again his voice took on a deep rumbling tone that felt dragged from the Earth's core. "Don't insult me."

There'd always been whispers of Dusk's power though everyone assumed he'd been chosen out of tradition over quality. Right now Jaimie felt like stones were pressing in around her. 

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

He roughly grabbed her chin. "If you touch even one hair on that little girl's head, Jaimie Mills, I will teach you every new meaning of regret I can think of."

"What girl?" She sobbed.

Dusk just let his hand drop instead of answering. He gave her one last look to make sure his message had gotten through before casually strolling away. It was only when the adrenaline began to fade that Jaimie remembered the night before. The woman she'd seen. The baby, a girl. Dusk's little girl? A wave of nausea hit Jaimie so suddenly that she could only stand there dry heaving. 

When the worst of it passed, she slid into the seat of her car. For an indefinite amount of time she sat there before the shaking stopped. Her confusion was replaced by a cold fact. Jaimie had to know who that woman was and she was likely to end up dead trying to find out.