Legacy Of Magick (Legacy Of Magick Series, Book 1) (17 page)

“I believe you had a close call not too long ago. A SUV that ran a stop sign?”

I blinked. “Are you admitting that was you?”

“I am merely pointing out that accidents happen. Your twin cousins, they’re lovely young girls. It would certainly be a shame for you to loose yet another family member.” He said in a quiet, matter of fact way, that I admit scared me right down to my toes.

As he laughed quietly at my dismay, I began to concentrate on trying to reach Bran using my psychic abilities. I couldn’t physically touch my cousin this time, but damn it — he was close by. He worked in the freaking library. I should be able to contact him somehow... Come on, The Sight, don’t let me down.
Bran, I need help!
I aimed my thoughts at where I had last seen him, and sent him a mental image.
Get your ass over here!

I was starting to feel a little desperate. Sweat slid down my back and I was
way
the hell out of my league. I tried to tamp down my fear, struggled to reproduce the energy I had used over the weekend, and break free of the spell all at the same time.

“Relax, my dear.” Thomas Drake suggested with a little sigh. “Don’t waste your power trying to weaken my spell. Instead, I suggest that you use those abilities to locate the Blood Moon Grimoire.”

“I am not your dear.” I panted and worked harder, then was rewarded for my effort. As I saw for the first time since Drake had stood over my library table, a person walked through the stacks. Normal background noises started to trickle through as well.
The spell was fading!
I pushed out from my gut with everything I had, and then I felt one of my legs move.

Suddenly with a loud crash, Bran appeared and ran a large library cart full of books straight into my table. Books went tumbling and Thomas Drake jolted from the impact. The noise had been jarring, and it sounded even louder in the typical quiet of the library.

I jumped to my feet, while Bran stalked around the cart and grabbed Thomas Drake by the lapels of his suit coat. He hauled him to his feet in a smooth motion that had me blinking. “Let me help you out, sir.” Bran sounded perfectly polite, but the expression was murderous.

Thomas Drake only smiled at Bran, which scared the crap out of me, and made Bran yank the older man up to his toes.

“Bran...” I warned him.

My cousin never even spared me a look. He leaned into Thomas Drake’s face a bit more, and practically growled. “Stay away from my family.” As if to punctuate the warning, the little green study lamp on the table popped loudly and went out.

“Are we finished with the theatrics, boy?” Drake asked, way too pleasantly.

Bran released his hold on Thomas Drake, and Drake stepped back from my cousin, brushing lazily at the lapels of his now wrinkled suit.

“Get out.” Bran’s voice was quiet, but the threat was crystal clear.

Thomas Drake stepped around the library cart and stopped to study the two of us. “I do hate to leave, however I have an appointment. Besides, the two of you have much to discuss. What with your
close
family connections, and so forth.” Thomas sneered at us, clearly implying something. Though I didn’t understand, I watched Bran’s face turn dark red.

I had a moment to wonder about that, before Thomas Drake smiled at me, “I truly enjoyed meeting you, my dear, I‘ll look forward to seeing you again soon.” Then he nodded to Bran and sauntered away, all cocky and casual like he was off to the club or something. Bastard.

After he was gone, I let out a long shaky breath. “You got my psychic message?” I asked quietly. Now that the spell was broken, people were once again walking around us and a few were staring at the mess that the book cart crash had caused.

“I did.” Bran started to pick up the scattered books from the cart.

I couldn’t think of what to do next, so I grabbed a few of the books that had fallen on my side of the table. I handed them to Bran and our hands touched.

Bran ignored the offered books, and wrapped his fingers around my wrist. “Are you okay?” He looked at me intently. “Did he touch you?” His voice was library quiet, but Bran’s expression was intense.

“No, not physically. But he did do magick on me.” I admitted. I quietly relayed to Bran what had happened. When I told him about Drake’s threat against the twins, another lamp blew out with a soft pop, on a nearby study table. “Easy there, Sparky.” I warned him. “I’m okay, thanks to you. But I think you need to rein your powers in.”

Bran closed his eyes, and I could see him struggle for control. While he did, I watched, fascinated, as the overhead lights flickered. A few seconds later the flickering stopped, and he opened his eyes, and seemed to be his typical self. “Are you finished studying for the day?” He asked, still holding onto my wrist.

“Well, I could stand to put in a few more hours. And that asshole is not going to make me run from the library like a scared little girl.” I told Bran.

Bran gave my hand a little squeeze and then took the books from me. “Fine, but you are going to study in my office until you are ready to leave. Gather your things, and follow me.” Bran ordered.

I started to protest, then thought better of it. “Okay.” I scooped up what I could, and to my surprise Bran gathered the rest. I followed him to his office at the library, and he set me up to work at his desk.

“Stay here, but leave the door open. When you are ready to leave, text me, and I will walk you out myself.” He ordered. I saw him reach for his cell phone as he left and figured he’d be contacting the family. A couple of days ago I would have sneered at that idea of an escort to my truck. However, there was nothing like an up close and personal with a creepy dark magician to make you appreciate the depths of your own vulnerability.

I did my best to get back to work, and I felt safer in Bran’s tidy little office. I discovered a big chunk of amethyst on his desk that he seemed to be using as a paperweight. I’d read up more on amethyst after Ivy had lent me the spelled earrings. Amethyst was an extremely powerful and protective stone. It also had calming properties and helped reduce stress. I ran my fingers over it, hoping the stone would work its magick—because boy I needed some stress reduction— and replayed what had just happened in my mind. The effortless way that Drake had spelled me into that chair and damn near cut off my air while I sat there helpless... There was no denying it. This incident had shaken me.

Not to mention Thomas Drake’s comments about my father being a coward. I definitely had to find out more about that — And what was all this soap opera intrigue about a Blood Moon Grimoire? He thought that my father had stolen it, and that
I
knew where it was? I gave up studying, put my head in my hands, and tried to process everything that had happened.

I recalled all of the warnings Gwen and Bran had given me about the Drake family, and now I knew that they had not been over exaggerating. Not at all. For about a half hour I tried to settle down and get back in to my studies. Then my cell phone started to blow up with text messages from Gwen and the girls.

They were all checking on me, Gwen announced she would be at home waiting for me. Holly’s message was sympathetic and sweet, and Ivy’s simply said: I‘m going to release the flying monkeys!!

That made me laugh, and, as I answered them all back, I started to feel a bit better. I soon gave up studying for the rest of the afternoon as a lost cause. I sent Bran a text and let him know I was ready to go, stacked up my books, and shut down my laptop.

Bran did walk me to my truck. He suggested that I drive straight home and I only nodded in reply. I pulled out of the University and made my way back through town, my mind racing with everything that had happened. I told myself to relax and to enjoy the pretty tree lined streets, but it was almost impossible. I pulled to a stop at an intersection and waited for a pedestrian to cross. When they didn’t seem inclined to, I glanced over.

And found myself looking at the ghost of that police officer.

I whipped the truck to the curb and hopped out. Before I even realized my intention, I was out on the sidewalk and marching right up to him. “What the hell do you want?” I demanded.

His pleasant face seemed almost familiar, and I found the air chilled considerably the closer I got. I stopped a few feet away from him when he simply held up a hand. “Are you alright?” He asked me.

Later I would think back and wonder that I didn’t even worry that someone might drive by and see me talking to thin air, but at that moment I was too wound up and frustrated to care. “Why are you haunting me?” I asked.

For a second his image wavered and then became true. “You need my help, and I need yours.”

“Who are you?”

His image rippled and he sounded farther away. “A friend.”

A breeze whipped through, and all of the leaves on the trees shook and trembled above us. “But I don’t — didn’t know you.” I corrected myself.

“Your father did.” Was his answer, and it caused all of the hair to rise up of the back of my neck. Then he started to fade away.

“Hey! Wait!” I protested.

“Look to the past to save someone in the future.” His voice and form became transparent, and then he was gone. Again.

Dumbfounded I stood there for a moment and waited to see if he would reappear. When he didn’t, I stalked back to my truck and slammed the door behind myself. I sat in the cab and shook in reaction. So this ghost had known my father. Okay, that was one bit of information I didn’t have before. But the comment he made at the end of his visit, I did not understand.

Before I could forget it, I grabbed my smart phone, hit the Notes app, and spoke. “He said, ‘Look to the past to save someone in the future.’” I hit save and looked over the text. That seemed right. But as to what that meant, I had no clue.

I tried to pull myself together and to think clearly. I made another note in my phone to do some research and to see if a local officer had died recently. But what connected these two visitations? I put my phone away and thought it over. This was the second time I had ‘spoken’ to the ghost. At my first encounter he had told me to ‘be safe.’ Today he asked if I was alright.

My stomach dropped as I recalled that the first time he had spoken to me, it had been after the close call with the black SUV that ran the stop sign. Today I’d had a personal encounter with Thomas Drake, who had all but admitted he was involved in that almost-collision, and now the ghost appeared again. Clearly he was concerned for my safety. And that realization made me break out in goose bumps.

Resolved, I drove carefully back to the manor. I needed answers, and I knew who would probably have them. Gwen.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Still wound up from the encounter in the library and the second ghostly visit, I stomped up the porch steps and shoved open the front door of the manor house. Holly and Ivy were sitting on the dark stained steps of the main staircase. Merlin sat a step above them and watched me with unblinking golden eyes. I didn’t even get the chance to put my things down before they all pounced.

I held up a hand to stop their rapid fire questions, explaining that I’d rather tell the story only once. I scooped up Merlin for some kitty comfort, and we walked into the family room together. I really liked this room. It was relaxing and comfortable in a sort of shabby chic way, with a cheerful mixture of antiques and traditional furniture.

I stopped short, and was surprised to see a few vintage wooden crates and several large pots of live chrysanthemums in orange and gold sitting by the fireplace. A storage box filled with garlands of colorful leaves and a variety of other fall items, sat nearby.
I guess my little magickal emergency had tragically interrupted the family’s seasonal decorating.

I cringed at my internal monologue and told myself to stop being bitchy. I must have been more wound up than I thought.

“What’s all this?” I made a real effort to sound polite, and gestured to the box as I chose an oversized, cushy chair close to the fireplace, while the girls shouted to Gwen that I was home. Merlin deigned to sit on the arm of the chair next to me, and, with a sigh, I settled in. I felt the last of the adrenalin fade away, and my stomach took a nasty turn. I closed my eyes and pressed a hand to it.

“We are going to start decorating for the sabbat.” Holly explained. “The autumn equinox, is next week. That is one of eight sabbats, or holy days, in the Witch’s year.”

The sabbats were on my list of witch homework from Gwen, I recalled, as I made myself focus on something besides the drama of the day and my queasy stomach. It had been a weird sort of surprise to discover that this year the sabbat and my birthday fell on the same day.

Gwen came in a moment later with a cup of tea and a little plate of sugar cookies. “This will fix you right up.” She calmly handed me the tea, which smelled like peppermint, and set the cookies down on a side table within my reach.

“Thanks.” I said, and I reached carefully for the cup with both hands, as mine had started to shake.

“You will need to build back up your blood sugar levels after a magickal attack
and
expending all that energy.” She explained, as I sipped the tea slowly. I waited a bit to see how my stomach would react, and, sure enough, the tea did seem to soothe it.

Gwen hovered for a moment and then settled on the sofa across from me. The twins sat as one on the area rug and gave me their full attention. I nibbled on a cookie and felt a little better. As I told them about my encounter with Thomas Drake, I watched Gwen’s eye’s narrow. I noted that Ivy and Holly gasped when I used the word “Cowan.” Apparently that was a really nasty word for non magickal folks. Who knew? Still, I had expected a bigger reaction at them finding out that they had been threatened. But other than that, they were all silent. So I decided to keep the ghost sightings to myself. For now.

I set the tea aside after I finished. “Aunt Gwen, I want you to explain to me what he meant when he called my father a coward. And what in the world is a Blood Moon Grimoire? That’s not here in the house is it?”