The Witch and Her Second Chance

16 | In it

"Wow. This some s**t," Celeste snagged some chips off his plate and shoved them into her perfectly painted mouth.

"You can order your own meal, you know?"

"Not hungry," she grinned as she pulled more from his plate.

He just let it go. With too much on his mind, he had spent his morning setting up a workstation and ordering breakfast. He'd explained everything to Celeste as soon as she arrived, sans the actual cause of the portal closure–he'd only said someone must have drawn the power from it, causing it to close. He thought everyone might have been still alive on the other side. He hadn't mentioned it to Jo, not wanting to bring her false hope.

"So what do you think is happening?"

"Something is feeding it," he splayed his hands, "there's no other explanation. I've been trying to get more information about the other portals. I came across stories of a witch who went crazy when she lost her mate at the same time as the portals closing decades ago. No one knows what happened to her, as she didn't survive the severing of her bond. There's no way to know if it's related, but two portals closed simultaneously. And none have experienced these episodes– that has been recorded," he added.

"So what would fix it? Keep feeding it?"

He shook his head, "Maybe. The amount of power needed to reopen it…"

"What would that take?"

"Something astronomical,” he said, defeated. It would need a celestial-level event. They believe the portals were made by the gods." He sighed, "You get anywhere with who of interest might be in there?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. I've got someone checking disappearances or deaths recorded back then. See what comes up."

He sipped his coffee thoughtfully. He needed to work out what kind of spell Jo had cast. Maybe that could cast light on how she'd drawn the power out. It sounded like an intent spell, but that type of spell was usually more subtle–though he had heard of explosive intent spells where the wielder was strong enough. He felt like every step of progress just revealed another puzzle to solve.

He was also trying to process his discovery that Jo was his mate. He had packed away Jo's less–than–enthusiastic reaction and bottled it up for later.

Jo hadn't cancelled their plans that night, so he tried not to worry himself before knowing what to worry about. The process involved forcing himself to think about something else every time it pushed its way forward, which was every other moment.

He hadn't told Celeste, and he wasn't sure it was right to share it yet. He let himself think of the possibility of rejection, and he wouldn't want her to know if that happened.

Feeling himself start to feel weighed down again, he got up and picked up the case she had brought. She quickly settled into his vacant seat and took over eating his meal.

"Were you able to get me everything?"

"Yep," she replied, around a mouthful of food.

After breakfast, he was going to set up a series of sensors around the site. He'd mapped out how to space them out to see if he could triangulate where the power source was coming from.

But first, he was going to fix the cuff. "Did you realise how much this dampens us?"

She shrugged, "Never been a problem."

He reached his hand to her, and she slipped hers off and handed it over. He sat on the other side of the table, setting up a workstation. He went to work while she finished eating.

"Can I crash here tonight?" She queried.

"No. I'm having guests over." I hope…

He finished adjusting his cuff first. Slipping it back on, he looked up at Celeste. "Cast a flame."

She did it, a small flame sitting in her palm. He frowned, removed the cuff, and went back to adjusting it.

"Guests, huh?" She asked coyly after a few seconds.

Verin just hummed his response. He put the cuff on and nodded for her to recast the flame.

She did it lazily. With a smile at the job done, Verin moved on to hers.

"You and your ladies are doing well then?*

"You could say that."

She humphed, leaning her elbows on the table. "I remember you being more fun."

He forced a smile. "I was never fun. And stop being a perv."

"We're all pervs," she whined. "I tell you all about my conquests."

"You might have noticed, I never asked you to." He handed the cuff to her, which she snatched and put on huffily.

He cast a flame, and she shrugged and rolled her eyes—her way of saying it was working better.

Chuckling dispute himself, he packed his tools away. "I'm visiting a coven near one of the old portals tomorrow. See what they can tell me about that witch that went crazy. It's a bit of a trek…Do you want to come?

Celeste's smile stretched, all grumpiness gone. "Heck, yes."

~*~

Jo felt nervous. Jackie comfortably held her hand and talked as they walked through the hotel to Verin's room. Jo was worried about what might happen. She should have spoken to him again. Just a phone call to make sure this all didn't go crazy.

Jackie stopped just before his door. "You all good?"

Jo smiled, "I think so."

"Let's go home," Jackie suggested. "Everyone has to be comfortable, precious. We can't do this if you're not."

Jo looked towards the door. The idea of not seeing Verin tugging at her chest. She took a breath. "I'm okay."

Jackie gave her a quick kiss, and they continued their journey.

Verin was careful as he greeted them. He had a question in his eyes when Jo met his. She felt shy like she realised he saw her for the first time. His desire had always been apparent, but the hunger she saw there now was different. He wanted to devour more than her body. A part of her wanted him to take all of her.

She saw he had his cuff off. She could feel his presence now–the hum of his magic. There was no denying what he was. Warlocks were powerful beings. And she could feel he was especially so.

"Everything okay?" He asked, sensing her trepidation.

Jo glanced at Jackie. She had to tell her everything.

She approached her love and hugged her, "Can we sit?"

Jackie was surprised by her sudden seriousness. "Of course."

Jo sat with Jackie and Verin perched on the arm of a chair across from them. She gave him a look she hoped portrayed what she wanted to do. He just nodded to her, so she hoped he understood.

"I once told you I was a witch." She squeezed Jackie's hands in hers. Jackie was looking back at her, a slightly confused look on her cute face.

Jo continued, "I wasn't being flippant. It is what I am. I grew up practising magic and lived in a place that was a paradise." Her voice wavered, drawing Verin to stand and sit behind her. He rested his hands at her sides, there to comfort her.

"I don't understand," Jackie uttered, her eyes flicking to watch Verin as he moved position.

"There's a lot in this world that is crazy and, well, supernatural." Jo watched Jackie's face.

Jackie shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips, "You're just jerk–"

Verin raised a hand and created a flame in his palm.

Jackie yelled and jumped to her feet. "The f**k?"

Jo grumbled, "shit." She stood and tried to calm Jackie after casting a dirty look at Verin.

"She can handle it," Verin said easily.

His voice snapped Jackie's attention back to him. "So you're both witches?"

"Well…" Jo looked down at Verin where he still stayed seated on the couch.

"I'm a warlock."

Jackie shrugged, "Is that what the male version is called?"

Both Jo and Verin couldn't help the little laugh they shared. Jo shook her head. "No, we're different. We didn't know what we each were until yesterday."

Jackie c****d an eyebrow, "what happened yesterday?"

Jo shifted on her feet. "We uh– I uh–"

"You what?" Jackie asked, cross now.

"I came to speak with Verin yesterday–"

"You what?' Jackie shook her head angrily. "Oh, so our conversation yesterday makes sense now. Did you guys f**k?"

"No. I swear. We, uh, kissed. That's all." Jo pleaded. She knew she should have told her immediately.

Verin stepped forward, startling Jo. She hadn't heard him get up.

"Jackie, you are Jos' chosen mate. No one can take that away. But Jo and I are connected. We are fated."

Jo groaned. Why did he have to phrase it like that?

"What does that mean?" Jackie looked between the two of them. Her eyes flickered between glistening with sudden tears and hard from anger at not understanding what was happening.

Jo bit her lip. "Soulmates given by the Goddess."

Jackie trembled. "But you're my soulmate."

"Yes," Jo grabbed her fiercely, "in the purest way possible. We love each other unconditionally—completely, and we do that without any outside influence. We chose each other. It's so beautiful." She kissed her woman's mouth, pulling back to search her face for understanding.

"I had a fated mate before. It's not common, but second chances happen." Jo looked back at Verin. He was standing very still, watching and waiting to see what she would do. "I know the feeling, and it's there with Verin."

Jackie looked at Verin with big eyes. "Are you trying to decide who to pick?"

Jo shook her head, "No. It's you. It's always you."

She heard Verin's noise. It was low, but she was close enough to hear it. It made her chest squeeze painfully.

Jackie rubbed her face. "I need a drink."

~*~