Legacy Of Magick (Legacy Of Magick Series, Book 1) (6 page)

“Nah. This is a better day than most.”

I seriously hoped she was kidding me.

As we pulled out of the parking lot a moment later, Gwen looked back at Ivy and I. “Girls we need to stop at the grocery store on our way home. I need to stock up on a few things.”

“Salt?” Ivy and I asked at the same time.

In response, Aunt Gwen flashed us a fierce grin in the review mirror.

***    

I resisted the urge to bombard my aunt with questions on the drive home. It wasn’t easy. We stopped at the grocery store and I was almost disappointed to see that she picked up some fresh fruit, a gallon of milk, garlic, lemons, and a couple of containers of salt. Hardly what one would consider witchy items. But with my aunt… you just never knew. Magickal items, as I was starting to learn, could be anything.

Ivy had been texting from the moment we got in the car and I had a feeling she was updating Holly on the day’s events. Different, though they might be, they were fiercely loyal to one another. When Holly finished her shift at the pool today and checked her messages she’d be up to speed with the day’s happenings.

When we arrived back at the manor, I hauled the bags in and dumped them on the kitchen table. Aunt Gwen and Ivy followed me into the kitchen, and Ivy announced that she had a message from Holly. It seemed the country club pool would be open later tonight, and she was able to get a few passes. If we wanted, Ivy and I could come up to the pool and swim for free until closing

There was also a message on the answering machine for Aunt Gwen from one of her coven-sisters. I tucked the milk in the fridge and waited until she had finished listening to the message.

“If you girls want to go to the pool tonight, that’s fine with me,” she announced.

“What about what happened at the store today? You said we would talk about that at home,” I reminded her.

“We will,” she assured me. “But I would like all four of you to be here when we do,” she said, meaning Bran as well. “I could drop you off at the country club, and then you could ride home with Holly when her shift is over at seven.”

I tried to decide whether I should use this opportunity to have some alone time with my aunt so I could discuss my dreams and the other events of the day, or if I should go to the pool and relax with my young cousins. But the lure of lying around poolside and swimming on one of the last days of summer was simply too much to resist. Besides if the three of us were alone, we could privately discuss what had happened today. I really wanted Holly’s impressions on everything.

“That’s okay, I can drive my truck.” I volunteered.

“Sweet!” Ivy gave a fist pump. “I’m gonna go get my stuff together.” Ivy clattered up the kitchen stairs.

A half hour later, we arrived at the club, me in a bright green swimsuit and aqua sarong—as color coordinated as I ever got — and Ivy in all black as usual: a black mesh cover-up over her—wait for it—black bikini. At least she had switched out the boots for flip-flops.

We hustled to the few empty chaise lounge chairs, poolside, spread out our towels, and settled in. Holly was easy enough to spot perched up high in her life guard stand at the side of the lap pool. She gave us a wave and went back to her duties.

It was a hot and steamy late afternoon, and a few minutes later, Ivy and I dove in the lap pool to cool off. We swam around for a while, me with laps and Ivy just swimming or floating hither and yon. After we climbed out, we smeared on the sunscreen, and got down to the serious business of getting some sun, while we still could. I combed out my wet hair and Ivy offered to braid it for me so I handed her a hair tie and turned around.

“Your hair is so thick.” Ivy muttered as she tamed it into a braid.

“I get tempted to whack it shorter every summer.” I admitted.

“Don’t do that. It goes all the way down your back, and I love the color.” Ivy finished up the braid and patted my shoulder to signal that she was done.

I looked over my shoulder at Ivy, “It’s only light brown, not very exciting.”

“If my hair was that color, I wouldn’t dye it.”

“Which reminds me, what is your natural hair color?” I asked her, as I eyeballed my cousin’s black hair.

That made Ivy laugh and we decided, after a brief discussion, to get a sandwich or something for dinner, later at the club. It was nice to feel like a beach bum, hanging at the pool, listening to the music played over the loud speakers, and enjoying the last days of summer.

I had flipped over to my back and was rearranging my chaise to a more upright position, as Ivy made some snarky comments about a few of the young women parading about in bikinis directly across the pool. I started to laugh and I sat up, adjusting my prescription sunglasses, and tried to get a better look at the pack of females in question.

A lone man lounged under a shaded patio, where several other couples wearing tennis whites sat enjoying drinks. He seemed gym buff and was wearing mirrored aviator shades, swim trunks, and an open shirt. A second man, more casually dressed in khaki shorts and a shirt, walked over and joined the group. He was facing away from us, but the women were all hanging around both men and it was like a scene from a reality TV show. As if in agreement the song playing changed to ‘It’s Not About the Money’. How ironic.

I laughed to myself and dismissed the group. As I chuckled with Ivy about the song being played over the speakers, I saw the gym dude stare over at us and point to his blonde companion. I figured he was probably checking out Ivy in her little black bikini. If he thought he could juggle multiple girls and Ivy at the same time… the guy was delusional. Ivy would shred him up with a few choice words and smile while she did so.

Unimpressed with their swarming ladies and the guy ogling my cousin, I leaned back and closed my eyes behind my sunglasses, leaving them to it. I was so relaxed. I hummed along with the music and sighed. Feeling blissfully stress-free for the first time in weeks, I relaxed and let my mind wander.

I started to anyway… but then in my mind’s eye I saw a fuzzy scene unfold.

Holly sat in her stand high above the water, calmly watching the many swimmers in the pool. Abruptly she stood up in her lifeguard chair and studied the pool intently. Suddenly, Holly chucked her sunglasses, blew her whistle loud and long, and jumped in feet first, holding a long, flat, orange flotation device.

Crazily the images shifted and I saw a man smile and laugh in satisfaction, but other than his expression I couldn’t see him clearly. Then I saw a woman in too much gold and diamond jewelry with a cell phone. She was screaming at the edge of the pool clutching her cell phone, but not jumping in.

Then all I saw was water. Everywhere. It crushed painfully down and suffocated me.

With a start, I sat up and pressed my hand to my galloping heart. Ivy, having seen me jerk upright, sat up as well and reached for me. “What’s wrong?” She asked quietly.

I looked around the pool and saw nothing out of the ordinary. No dramas, and there were no big rescues in progress. I gagged and coughed.

“Crap.” I tried to breathe. I thumped my fist against my heart. My chest was so tight it felt like I was having an anxiety attack. “A damn vision,” I said to Ivy. I tried to calm down, but I could hardly catch my breath.
What was with me today?

“What did you see?”

“Holly jumping in after a swimmer, some guy laughing about it, and a woman in too much jewelry screaming at her.” I gripped the sides of the chaise lounge and panted, breathing way too quickly. “Water. Water everywhere.”

“You are going to hyperventilate,” Ivy quietly warned me. “Autumn, try and slow your breathing down.”

I really did try to slow my breathing down, but couldn’t. If anything my chest felt tighter. I
knew
something big was about to happen. “It’s going to happen soon,” I said quietly to Ivy.

What should I do? Should I try and warn Holly? Should I go stand watch at the side of the pool myself? Or should I simply put my head between my knees and try and not pass out?

It ended up I didn’t have to try and decide what to do. As I looked up at Ivy, I could see Holly high in her lifeguard chair off to our right. I watched unsurprised and a little numb as she suddenly stood up in her chair with her whistle in her mouth.

Like in the vision I had just experienced, Holly stood for a second. Then she tossed her sunglasses, blew loud and long and vaulted off that chair, jumping way out and into the deep end of the lap pool, feet first.

Both Ivy and I had jumped to our feet after Holly went in to the water, and I didn’t see anybody struggling. So I knew whoever she went in after, was well under. I clutched Ivy’s hand. For the first time, I realized that Holly’s summer job was actually dangerous. Another life guard jumped in a second later. For a moment the pool fell silent. Then pandemonium ensued.

As we watched, Holly surfaced with a child in her arms. As she turned in the water, the movement had the child leaning back against her, and using the floatation device to help hold his head above water, Holly sped over to the edge of the pool.

To the left of our pool chairs, a woman in a trim two-piece stood poolside chatting on a cell phone. And as I had
seen
, she had on way too much jewelry and her hair was perfect. She obviously had not come to the pool to swim. The woman chatted away, and moved, out of curiosity, closer to the edge of the pool to see the goings on.

The second lifeguard helped Holly lift the child out of the water. Together, they laid him down on the edge of the pool deck. The little boy looked to be about five years old and he was very still. Too still, I realized as my heart sunk.

Then the jewelry-laden cell phone woman started to scream. The rescued boy was her son.

A pool employee rushed to call emergency services, while a few more people tried to keep the hysterical mother out of the lifeguard’s way.

They began to work on the boy and a few seconds later he started to gag.

Holly and the other life guard rolled the boy over on his side, to encourage him to cough up more water. The little boy tried to sit up but Holly kept him lying down. She leaned over him and spoke to him and he calmed down a bit.

Knowing there was nothing we could do; Ivy and I backed up and went over to sit in our pool chairs. Ivy guided me over, and I admit that I fell into my chaise lounge more than I sat back down. I had never had a waking vision come on me, and then play out so
quickly
, ever before. Shaken, I put my head in my hands, pushed my own sunglasses up on my head, and tried to focus while Ivy kept telling me to breathe.

I jolted when a large, warm hand settled on my back. I felt a zip of energy and looked up to see Duncan Quinn leaning over my shoulder with a concerned expression on his face.

“Autumn, are you okay?” He asked me quietly.

“Just dandy,” I snapped and put my head back in my hands. Humiliation and nausea surged through me. I would not throw up. I told my churning stomach. I would not.

“I’m going to get you something to drink, Autumn. Sit, and try and breathe.” Ivy ordered me. Then as I lifted my head a bit, to frown at her for being so bossy, I watched as she leveled a serious look at Duncan. “Be useful and stay with her until I get back.”

“I will,” he said, then took Ivy’s chaise. We sat quietly for a few seconds directly across from one another. “I saw you from across the pool and was coming over to talk to you,” Duncan told me.

Perfect. Hehad been one of the men all those women were drooling over.
It figured.
I stayed silent and concentrated on not barfing all over his sandaled feet, which I was currently looking at.

“I saw you jerk up in your chair,” he said.

I lifted my head slowly and watched him steadily. Even slightly out of focus, his blonde hair looked great in the breeze. He looked so cool and casual in his pressed khaki shorts and polo shirt. Now that he was sitting across from me I noticed a neat tribal design tattoo that wrapped around his right bicep. I gulped.

With the way he sat, the sun created a halo of light around him. I thought that it looked like his aura, all golden and sparkling.
Damn it, not again!

I continued to watch him carefully and then slowly blinked a couple of times. To my relief, the image of him having an aura faded away.

He returned my careful look with one of his own and continued by saying, “I overheard what you said to your cousin about having a vision. I saw how it affected you.”

My heart slammed painfully, and I broke a sweat. “So?” I glared at him and managed to raise an eyebrow. I was proud of that look. Kind of haughty, kind of cool and belligerent… I hoped it would work. I was so
not
having this conversation with a man that I had just met.

“It happened exactly like you said it would.”

Apparently I was. “I’m going to have to repeat myself. So?”

He smirked at my tone. “Does this foreseeing the future thing happen often with you?” He asked me so calmly that it was unnerving.

I stared at him, and felt heat rising in my face. I started to say something really rude but he cut me off.

“Here comes your cousin. Why don’t you sit still for a minute and ground and center yourself.”

“Huh?” Had he told me to ground and center? As in ground and center my energy so I could become calm and focused? That was a
magickal
term. Ivy and Holly had been trying to teach me to ground and center for the past few days.

Holy crap was he a Witch too? I reached for my glasses and put them back on my nose. Maybe they would help guard my expression. But I didn’t know what the point was. He didn’t even seem fazed by overhearing me talking about a vision, or by what had happened.

Ivy shoved a soda at me. “Drink it,” she ordered.

I took a sip and made a face. “Bleh! That’s not a diet soda.” I cringed at the sugary taste.

“Drink it anyway. The sugar will help with the psychic distress,” Duncan advised calmly. Then he greeted Ivy as I sat there with my mouth hanging open. “Hi Ivy, nice to see you again.”