In Fear's Embrace (The Hunters' Legacy - Book 2)

Chapter 30

            The first thing she had to work on was the self-healing process. Something was definitely wrong and Jay had to ask for help. Friday evening seemed to be the best time for it. Mainly due to the full moon. Holt called her almost every day, asking her out. He proposed cinema, dinner, outing with friends. But she refused each time. She still was not ready to talk with him. And he did not push on her.

            After all she decided that a few evenings spent alone would be good for her. She was finally able to find time for her brothers. She missed them so much and at least she could see and hear them on her laptop. She loved to hear about their everyday, ordinary things. Yet she did not tell them about the murders and the vampire chasing her. She did not want to worry them.

            On Friday she stuck to her routine. She woke up early, went jogging and to the gym. She took a shower, had some breakfast while watching the news and went to college. Because Friday was the night of parties, she had to refuse one more time. She excused herself telling that she was going to visit her father. O her way home she stopped to buy a wine for the ritual she planned. She chose a light fruit one with herbal notes. ‘Perfect!’ She thought.

            In the evening she took a long hot bath with aromatic oils. She wanted to be fully relaxed and focused. She used her favorite body lotion and perfumes. She left her hair loose and let it dry naturally. Ten she put on her ritual robe. Most witches used long white, sometimes black, long-sleeved dresses. Jay found her own unique robe that made her feel comfortable. It was a light satin dress with wide shoulder straps, reaching down to her mid-thigh, slightly flared from the waist down. Its turquoise color perfectly matched her eyes.

            Just before midnight she prepared candles, wine and herbs, as well as athame, a ritual knife she inherited from her mother. Out of twelve candles, one for each month of the year, she formed a large circle. Another four she lined up inside, pointing to the geographic directions and devoting each candle to one of the Elements. She lit all the candles with her breath, but the last one she had in her hand, she lit by her will only.

            She sat in the middle of the circle and asking goddess and all the Elements for a favor and help. She found some appropriate spell earlier, but in the end she decided to use her own words.

-       O goddess, good and wise guide, help me with your strength and knowledge. – She murmured. – Lady o the Earth, give me your support, lest I waver. Lord of the Air, let your winds be favorable to me. Lady of the Water, grant me the gift of purification. Lord of the Fire, grant me your power so that I can use it in times of need. – She took a deep breath. – I humbly ask you to hear my prayers.

            She took the athame and cut her palm. She let a few drops drip into the wine. She used some herbs, which could help her relax and put her in a trance. She used the spell of purification to clean the blade, and then focused on self-healing. The wound closed quickly. It hurt. She felt the fire burn her palm, but she did not even flinch.  She took the glass.

-       Please, accept my sacrifice. Let my soul become a vessel for pure, bright energy. – She drank the wine, closed her eyes and focused on the light.

***

            All the sounds and lights were on his nerves. It was Friday night, time for parties and having fun. Something he was always keen on. But not tonight.

            He was twelve when his parents got divorced. His mother stayed in Ireland together with his sister Megan, he moved to New York with his father. And from then on he became a real nuisance. He had to change school every few months because teachers could not cope with him. His father was always busy and had no time for his son who hung out with the wrong people and got into more and more trouble.

            He was lucky to end up in the same high school as Rodney Jonson. He never thought an elite school was for him and at first he was doing everything to be expelled again. At that time he would do everything to piss his father off. Luckily he made friends with Rod, he graduated from high school and they went together to college, where they met Byron, Craig and Holt. They stuck together from the first year. Each of them took a different path, and yet there has not been a week without them meeting.

            When they were in third year their pack grew larger. He liked Rod’s little sister and her friend, Patricia. Thanks to them he could feel like an elder brother again. Coleen and Emily were different, but they fitted in quickly anyway. He made a mistake of getting into an affair with Coleen at the very beginning of their relationship, but luckily they became good friends.

            However, for the last few months he had to avoid Em. He flirted with her, it was true, like with all the girls. But she took it as a kind of challenge. She gave up at the end of summer, when she met some handsome Italian. He breathed a sigh of relief. He could be himself again. A troublemaker. A womanizer. A bad boy.

            But then Holt did something that thwarted his plans. He brought Jay to one of their meetings. It would not be unusual, if not for the fact that the girl got under his skin from the very first moment. She was a bit embarrassed, but also self-confident, clever, intelligent, pugnacious, sarcastic and funny. And she had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. ‘And damn fuckin sexy smile!’ It crossed his mind.

-       Dude?! – Byron snapped his fingers in front of his eyes.

-       What? – Cole was back to reality.

-       You okay? – Rod asked and chuckled.

-       Yeah, why? – He looked around the smoky pub.

-       You’ve hardly touched your beer in last two hours. – By pointed out.

-       Yeah, somehow I don’t like it. – Cole grimaced.

-       Seriously?! – Rod chuckled. – Our Casanova is not in the mood?

-       Screw you! – He snapped back. – I don’t feel good. – He said. – I think I caught something.

-       Maybe you should go home and lie down? – Shane put his hand on his forehead with concern.

-       I can drive you. – Patricia offered.

-       There’s no need. – He said. – I can drive, forgot that? – He lifted the nearly full bottle. – I’ll call you guys. – He promised and stood up.

-       Bye sweetie! – Coleen waved at him.

-       Get well soon dude! – Rod added.

-       See you! – He said and left the pub.

***

            Common sense told him to go home and follow the advice of his friend. He had not been sleeping very well lately. ‘It’s probably just plain exhaustion!’ He thought and shook his head.  A good sleep would definitely get him back on his feet.

            Yet he did not go home. Nor to the apartment he has been renting for several years. He parked his car in an almost empty, quiet street. He chose a place from which he could observe the two-storey building. It was almost two in the morning and the tenants were far sleep. But he could see the soft light in one of the upstairs windows. There were probably candles in the room.

            He remembered Holt’s words clearly. They knew each other too well for a friend not to notice. Holt wanted to protect the girl from him and Cole was not surprised at all. He would not trust himself either. And the best proof was that he was just standing outside her house. In the middle of the night! Who is that girl?! Why cannot he remove her from his mind?!

            ‘Why do I want her so much?!’ He thought, frustrated.

            He got out of the car and headed for the building. He hesitated for a moment when he noticed a shadow approaching from the other side. The man was tall, broad shouldered. And he clearly headed for the same building. He stopped by the porch and turned around, but Cole still could not see his face.

-       You’re coming in or you’re just admiring the views? – He asked with a hint of sarcasm.

-       Sorry? – He was totally surprised.

-       Mrs. Freeman is asleep, so she won’t open. – The man noticed. – And Jay? – He pondered. – I suppose she might not even hear the thunder near her ear – There was a strange silence. – So? You want to come in or what? – The man rushed him.

-       Yeah, I’m coming in! – He made a quick decision and followed the man. – I’m Cole.

-       Dom. – The guy looked at him as he turned the corridor light on. – The neighbor. – He added reassuringly and headed upstairs.

-       Oh, okay. – He shrugged and climbed the stairs as well.

-       I know Jay for some time. – Dominic stopped in front of his apartment door. – I like her. So if you try to hurt her, I’ll track you down and kill you. – He said calmly.

-       Got it! – Cole nodded with understanding. He was probably already dead.

-       Great! – Dom smiled and took off his keys. – It’s open. – She threw over his shoulder. – She rarely locks the door.

-       Thanks. – Cole said.

-       No problem. And good luck! You may need it! – He added and chuckled.

            For a moment Cole stared at the door Dominic had disappeared behind. ‘Strange guy!’ He summed up and shrugged. He went to Jay’s apartment door and knocked. Nothing happened for a while, so he pressed the handle and slowly opened the door. Jay was that kind of girl who has the baseball bat just in case some uninvited guest’s visit. ‘And she would definitely use it!’ He thought ironically. The whole apartment was in twilight. Soft light came only from behind the ajar bedroom door. Just as the sounds of some relaxing music. He came in and closed the door quietly.

-       Jay? – He said in a low voice, but there was no response.

            ‘She probably fell asleep while reading or something.’ He rolled his eyes. But since he was already here, he could put out the candles and cover her with a blanket. He went closer and peered inside. She was sitting on the floor, in the middle of a circle made out of candles. He could see her left profile bathed in the firelight. She looked so delicate in a light dress, with her hair in soft curls falling over her back. She seemed to be calm and relaxed.

            He was fascinated by this sight. ‘She looks like an ethereal sorceress.’ He felt a sudden rush of desire. That girl was driving him crazy.

            Jay was meditating. The wine together with herbs and the spell put her into a deep trance. She completely lost track of time. But she felt so good. So light, almost weightless.

            Suddenly she felt something. A gentle gust of wind. Subtle change it the atmosphere. Delicate vibrations of the energy around. As if she was sitting on the beach and the warm ocean waves were tickling her skin. It was very pleasant feeling. The water of the ocean came closer and closer, and a shiver run through her body.

            The atmosphere became denser. Warmth spread all over her skin. She woke up slowly just to realize it was his scent that pierced through the candles’ aroma and stimulated her senses. It was his gaze burning her skin. It was his presence that excited her.

-       I don’t think it’s the time to make visits. – She spoke in a calm, deep voice.

            Jay lifted her heavy eyelids and looked at him. Her eyes were dark. Slightly hazy. And extremely attractive. Cole cleared his throat and muttered some incomprehensible apology. She smiled gently and her eyes sparkled with an inner light. He felt his feet losing ground and he had to hold on to the doorframe. Amusement flashed across her face. As if she knew what he was feeling. ‘After all, she can’t read my mind!’ He tried to calm himself down.

            But even if she was not reading Cole’s mind, still she could feel his mood. She could feel his excitement. His hunger.

            His lust.

-       Give me five minutes and I’ll join you in the kitchen. – She took pity on him. – I have some beer in the fridge. Help yourself. – She smiled at him.

-       Take your time. – He said in a changed voice and left.

            Jay shook her head and began to close the circle. She felt much better now. Not only relaxed. But also stronger. She believed that her self-healing ability will not fail her again. She thanked the goddess and the Elements, extinguished the candles and hid all the ritual items. Then she took the bottle of wine and the glass and headed towards the kitchen.