Legacy Of Magick (Legacy Of Magick Series, Book 1) (14 page)

“I try to be.” Duncan leaned back on the step behind him, and seemed totally at ease with the topic of conversation. Then he grinned at me. “So it’s my turn to ask — are you a good Witch, Autumn?”

“Well, I hope I am. I’m really new to all of this stuff, I’m still learning.”

“I sort of figured that out for myself, after I saw your reaction at the pool a few weeks ago.”

“What, do I have...”
What was the term Bran had used?
Then I remembered. “The word ‘novice’ tattooed on my forehead?”

“No, but you have a very honest and expressive face. It doesn’t hide much.” He looked me directly in the eyes and I felt that all the way to my toes. I struggled to act as casually as he did, but I was way out of my league here. So much for my façade of confidence.

Then Duncan caught me off guard, taking my left hand in his. A jolt of power, not entirely pleasant, zipped straight up my arm. It made my fingers tingle. He squeezed lightly in a friendly way, and as I looked up into his face, my stomach did a back flip.

“Here’s some more honesty,” I began. “I feel a jolt of energy or electricity when we touch. I’m not talking romance novel stuff, I mean energy, and it burns a bit.”

“I feel it too.” He admitted.

“I’ve never experienced this before, not even with my father’s family. Do you know what it is?”

“It’s power. Yours and mine, mingling together.” Duncan explained. “Autumn, I don’t think it was an accident, us running into each other. I’m wondering if it was fated.”

I suppose a comment like that would seem dreamy to some. But after everything I had learned, experienced, and seen in the past few weeks, I was more suspicious, especially with the electrical energy surge that happened when we touched. That energy was still there right now, like a hum right under the surface.

“Fated?” I frowned. “Does that line actually work for you?” I tugged my hand free.

Duncan grinned at me. “I don’t suppose you’d believe me if I told you that I have never said that to another woman?”

I gave him a withering look. “What’s my open and honest face telling you now?”

Duncan chuckled. “I like you.” He sat quietly, no longer touching me. “You can try and read me, if it makes you more comfortable with us working together.” He invited.

The thought both excited and worried me at the same time. “The last time I read someone’s memories it made them really angry.” I told him.

“You can see both the future and the past?”

I thought about it. “Seeing the future is more spontaneous— I don’t have much control over it, but reading the past — that’s a new trick for me. I can do it, but I have to think about it more and try harder.”

He sat there on the little steps of the deck behind the house he was rehabbing and looked totally at ease despite the topic. “I invited you to read me. It won’t make me angry. Go ahead.”

I was torn between curiosity as to what I would see, and nervousness about trying this with him. Curiosity won. I laid my hand on his arm and let my psychic abilities open up.

And nothing happened. Nothing at all. “I guess I’m nervous.” I closed my eyes, concentrated harder and waited.
What the hell?

A few moments later, I opened my eyes and let go of his arm. Well, this was humiliating. “Sorry. But it didn’t work this time. I couldn’t pick up anything. Anything at all.” I spun away miserably embarrassed, and managed about two steps.

“Hold up.” He snagged me by the elbow and turned me to face him. “The last time you read someone’s memories, what sort of emotional state were you in?” Duncan asked gently.

“I was angry and frustrated.” I admitted.

“You are going to want to watch that.” He told me. “Using your powers when you are angry means you’ll have no control of the outcome. That’s the dark path of magick.”

“Which would explain why Aunt Gwen gave me a lecture afterwards.” I said half to myself.

“I bet she did.” He grinned at that.

And there went Bran’s theory of the whole Drake family being evil. Duncan had just warned me to be careful of the dark side — which, come to think of it, sounded a little Star Wars to me.

“Maybe you should try again, but this time you could tap into a more positive emotion.” Duncan suggested.

“What, like an experiment?”

“Sure, an experiment —” he said, as he took ahold of both my arms, and kissed me firmly on the mouth.

My purse and notebook hit the ground with a quiet splat, and I automatically gripped his arms back. The second I did, power blasted from the soles of my feet to the top of my head. I could swear I felt my hair blow back, but there was no breeze today. Intrigued, I leaned into him a little more. I felt another surge of power, like his and mine seemed to combine and merge together. It almost felt like we were dancing, even when I knew we were standing still.

His tongue touched mine, and, with a happy sigh, I opened up my mouth fully to his. Then the kiss became more intense. So I hung on and kissed him back.

While I did, dozens of images shifted through my mind: Duncan as a toddler, taking wobbly first steps to his mother’s arms. Then, as a young boy riding a bike with a bright green cast on his lower right arm. Duncan as a teenager sitting on the ground with candles in a circle all around him. Next, I saw him with longer hair, working on various old houses, and then I saw his perspective of the first time we literally ran in to each other. He
had
been attracted to me that day. He still was.

This kiss wasn’t an experiment at all!

Nope, it’s not. Now stop thinking.
I clearly heard him think.

My surprise at realizing I could hear his thoughts — and he could hear mine — was soon lost to other sensations. He buried one of his hands in my hair, and pulled me closer still.

Chest to chest, I lost myself in the kiss. With that much body contact, my psychic senses went on overload. To my surprise, I gained a glimpse of his more personal thoughts about me… and what he’d like to do with me.
Oops.

I pulled back regretfully. “That’s enough.” I managed. Invited in or not, that sort of intensely personal information seemed unfair, somehow. We stood there our faces inches apart, a little out of breath, arms still around each other. His eyes were open and locked on mine. Then I suddenly remembered we were standing in the middle of an open backyard. Surrounded by family homes, and in plain view of the neighbors.

I took a breath, eased back a bit farther, and tried to calm myself down. “Wow.” I finally managed.

He grinned down at me. “That’s exactly the response I hope for when I kiss a girl.”

I couldn’t help it, a laugh bubbled up.

CHAPTER NINE

We stood there smiling at each other for a few more moments and then we stepped apart. This changed things. We both knew it, and now we had to decide how to go forward.

“So, did you see anything this time?” Duncan asked quietly as he stood there watching me.

“Yes,” I admitted. “One of the images was when you were maybe ten or eleven, riding an old bike with a bright green cast on your right arm.” He looked a bit startled so I added, “Broken wrist?”

“I did break my wrist when I was ten. I fell off my —”

“Skateboard,” I heard myself say.

Duncan looked at me speculatively. “Autumn, you keep on surprising me.”

“I think I surprised myself.” I blew out a shaky breath and then picked up my things.

“Don’t be afraid of your power.”

“I’m not. Not really. But speaking of power... how did I hear you inside of my head?”

“I have a little telepathy. I can receive and
send
my thoughts every now and then.” He shrugged, as if it was no big deal.

“Aunt Gwen picks up on other people’s thoughts, but I’ve noticed she’s better at it if she’s standing close to them.”

“Yeah, the close proximity helps. That’s usually how it works for telepaths.” He laid his hand on my shoulder, and I felt a little hum of energy.

I rubbed my forehead and tried to process everything. “I get overwhelmed sometimes. There is a lot to learn.” I admitted.

“I can help you with that.” Duncan made the offer quietly, his expression was sincere.

“Ah...” I fumbled a bit, not sure if that offer held a double meaning.

“Whenever you’re ready. No pressure. ” He ran a hand down my hair. The gesture was comforting and sweet. “For now, why don’t we focus on the landscaping? That way we can get to know each other better.”

I nodded in agreement, and, together, we started towards the front yard. “I would like to work with you. On this house, and on the other topic as well.”

His blue eyes seemed very intense as he studied me. Now that I had been inside of his head, I wasn’t worried about him being evil. I was more worried that I might not be ready for a serious relationship at this point of my life.

“How soon will you want me to get started on the planting?” I asked. It sounded so casual to my own ears that you’d never know we’d just kissed each others brains out.

He played along and went for a casual tone as well. “Most of the construction mess should be cleaned up within two weeks. By then you should be good to start with the flower beds...” Duncan trailed off and then started to chuckle at something.

I had been looking at him while he spoke, but now I swung my head around to see what was so funny. There sat Ivy, perched on the tailgate of Duncan’s blue pickup that was parked in the driveway, swinging a leg lazily, as if she had all the time in the world.

“Ivy? What are you doing here?” I sputtered. I wondered how long she had been waiting. And more importantly, had she stayed in the front yard, or had she been around back spying?

“I’m waiting for you.” She tipped cat-eye sunglasses down to smile over them. The
Duh,
was unspoken but definitely inferred.

“How’s it going?” Duncan laughed over to her.

Ivy jumped lightly down and strolled over to Duncan and me. She looked tough in a black tank, ripped denim shorts, and black combat boots. “So, you really were going to see about a job.”

“Do I even want to know how you found me?” I asked.

“Locator spell.” Ivy replied smugly, and had Duncan hooting with laughter.

“You did a spell on me?” I was slightly horrified at that idea.

“Didn’t have to.” Ivy smirked at me.

“Ivy,” I said angrily. “Explain. Now.”

“The locator spell was on the amethyst earrings you borrowed.” She said patiently, “All I had to do was follow those.”

“That’s fairly ingenious.” Duncan said admiringly.

While Ivy grinned at him, I heroically resisted the urge to smack her over the head with my notebook. Tricky Witch. I also made a mental note to never take anything Ivy offered me, even a pair of earrings, ever again.

“Duncan,” I said seriously. “I think the first thing you should teach me, magick-wise, is how to know if an item has been spelled by my family, or not.”

He agreed that it was probably a good idea.

As if to placate me, Ivy held up her hands. “Before you get all pissy... I stayed out here. I did
not
invade your privacy. I only wanted to check and make sure you were okay.”

“I don’t need a damn bodyguard.” I told her. “I can take care of myself.” I took the earrings off and handed them to Ivy.

Duncan shook his head at her, and went to get a set of shutters out of the bed of the truck. Ivy grabbed a second set and followed him as he moved to the front porch, probably trying to make up for her behavior.

“Look, I get that you guys like each other. But the family is going to be dead set against it.” Ivy warned.

Duncan shrugged, “That’s their problem.” He told her and took the shutters.

“Well for what it’s worth,” Ivy said seriously to him. “I think you’re probably okay.”

Torn between anger and amazement at her audacity, I literally slapped my hand to my forehead. I shook my head at her and caught Duncan’s eye, it appeared he was amused by her antics and not angry at all. Well, that was something, I supposed.

Apparently comfortable with her own nosiness, Ivy stuck her head inside the open door of the house and looked around. “I love rehabbing projects. Why don’t you show me what you’re doing here?” Ivy fairly radiated good cheer as she stood there, which was why Duncan ended up giving us a tour of the house.

As we walked through the bright, open rooms of the home, Ivy fired off questions to Duncan about original hardwood floors and granite versus composite material countertops. It made me appreciate, as I listened to her, how much she really was into this. When she hunkered down to look at the tile Duncan had chosen for the bathroom, he seemed to genuinely enjoy her enthusiasm for renovations.

We were standing on the front porch again when I spotted the same woman I had seen earlier, walking slowly back down the sidewalk in front of the house. She was eyeballing it, I knew intuitively, and she wanted it for her own. “I think you have a prospective buyer out there.” I motioned towards the woman and the stroller.

Duncan went to go speak to her, which left me alone with Ivy.

“Listen,
Sabrina
—” I began as soon as Duncan was out of earshot.

“That’s me, a teenage Witch for sure. Tragically I’m not blonde. I do have a black cat though —” Ivy quipped.

“Try and focus Ivy!” I snapped. “Spying on me is not cool. Seriously, what the hell were you thinking?”

“Sorry, I only wanted to make sure you were okay.” She shrugged.

“It may shock you to know that I can take care of myself. I have been doing it for years.” I informed her.

“But you have no defenses and hardly any experience when it comes to magick.” Ivy pointed out.

I went on the offensive. “Well, that’s because your mother won’t teach me any magick! So far it’s all grounding and centering and rules.” I groused.

“Yeah, I always hated that too.” Ivy agreed. She scuffed her boot on the porch and looked down at the ground. “Tell you what,” Ivy said brightening. “How about I teach you that locator spell?”

“Here comes Duncan, hold that thought.” I suggested.

“You were right; she is interested in the house.” Duncan announced. “I told her it should be ready by the end of the month. That is, if I can get back on schedule.”