lightning witch 02 - lightning legacy (13 page)

I heard Troy’s voice echo off the walls as he called, “Maybe you should switch to turkey on a regular basis. Then, that towel might work.”

He rounded a corner and I tossed the towel in his face.

"Whore," I said, smiling at him.

He chucked my clothes at me and added, “Hooker.”

God, how I missed him.

TROY AND HIS
new husband, as weird as that was to say, put me in the guest room, which was decorated like something straight out of Moulin Rouge. I knew this would only be a short stay. I couldn’t risk bringing Mitch and his pack down on my friends. I needed to find Reid. I had no idea what I was doing.

I flopped my head back on the fluffy pillow. I had the rest of the night and some of tomorrow to decide what I should do. In the meantime, I thought training Troy might do two things: act as a distraction and offer copious amounts of entertainment. But first, I would just close my eyes for a moment. I fell into darkness.

There were two ways people woke up: with lots of yawning and stretching or like their ass was on fire. For some of us, our asses really were on fire. My eyes snapped open and I was assailed by the scent of burning feathers.
Great, glad to know some things didn't change
. I got out of bed and ran to the attached bathroom. I showered and got ready for the rest of the day. When I got back into the room, I couldn’t make myself leave. I flopped on the bed, closed my eyes and thought of everything.
Well, that’s depressing
. I needed to think about nice things. Like kittens and puppies. It's sad that even my thoughts were jaded. I was actively trying to avoid the one thought that would hurt the most. Reid.

I had no idea how long I laid there. Troy called a few times, but that may have been a dream.

Finally, I peeled myself off the bed that was surely sent down from heaven and made my way downstairs to find Troy.

I found Troy and Garrett on the front porch, sitting on the hanging swing. I was so happy for Troy. He seemed genuinely content. He looked at Garrett the same way I felt about Reid. I felt a pang of sadness. I tried to swallow it back. I tried to tell myself that I would find him, but “myself” was stubborn.

I turned to go back into the house to leave the two alone when I heard Garrett say, "Delaney, hey darlin', do you mind keeping Troy company? I need to get ready for work." He had one of those voices that made a girl want to sigh and fan herself. I nodded as he got up and kissed Troy on the lips. I scooted past him and sat down. We sat in silence for a few moments.

The weather had cooled substantially since the last time I was here. The sun was setting and lent a pink glow to the oak trees and Spanish moss. Savannah, this time of year, was magnificent. The city never turned colors with the changing of the leaves, but rather the changing of the day. The summer nights were oranges and yellows, but the fall and winter it changed to pink and purple. Had I really been in that room for a full twenty-four hours? My stomach gave a growl. Guess so.

“Would you bang him?” Troy asked about the skinny man walking along the sidewalk.

"No way, too skinny. I would break him," I replied. This was our favorite game. Troy, Sierra, and I would sit on this very swing, drinking and playing our bang or no bang game. My heart hurt at the thought that I could never have those times back. The times when I had worries, but they were so distant that they seemed like nothing more than a faint dream. I longed for that time.

“How did you meet Garrett?” I asked, eyeing the empty street.

“He’s a firefighter,” he replied, with a smile in his voice. Clearly, he was remembering a fond time.
A time I should have been here for.

“I might be able to help you control it, you know? I mean, I can try anyway.” I looked at him more fully. His eyes sparked with hope.

“Well, this is my new normal, so let’s get this party started.” He eyed me, waiting for instruction.

"First, close your eyes.”

He raised an eyebrow, but did as I instructed.

“This may sound strange, but turn your gaze inward and look for your core. Try to find that place where you feel your power the strongest.”

He squinted in concentration. Then his eyes flew open.

“Holy shit, I feel it.” He sounded so shocked.

I smiled. I placed my hands on my lap, palms up. I pulled my lightning out. It formed two small balls of sparking electricity. Troy's eyes bugged at the sight. I don’t think I’d ever done this with him. This moment reminded me of Sierra, and I felt so much emotion it nearly hurt. I pushed the thoughts aside and tried to focus on helping Troy.

"Okay, you need to pull a thread from it. Imagine you’re taking a small pinch. If you grab too much power, you may not be able to control it. So, pull a small pinch. Pull it through your core up your chest, down your arms, and have it settle in your hands. Most witches have their power form a ball or other small object. Mil told me that fire witches were a lot like me in that their power is harder to manipulate. I do know fire witches can form a ball or even a flame." A confused look flashed across his face. "Sorry, I know it's a lot. Okay, I would go with a ball shape. Try it. Pull it slowly.”

I pulled the small orbs of lightning back into my core. It caused a tingle to run up my spine. Troy's eyes slid shut and he flipped his palms up on his lap. After about two minutes of trying, I began to see a flicker form in his right hand. It grew to about the size of a gumball. It looked like a tiny sun hovering in his hand.

"Troy, open your eyes," I said in a low tone. He slowly cracked his eyes and peered down at his hand.

"Holy shit! I did it!" he exclaimed. The small orb flew out of his hand out into the front yard. The small flame began to smolder slightly. Our gazes met, and we both ran to the small flame that had grown slightly in the dry grass. We both began stomping on the smoking ground, trying to put the embers out. After a few moments of panic, the disaster was averted.
This might not be as easy as I thought.
We couldn’t help but laugh. Hey, at least we didn’t cause a forest fire; Smokey would be so proud.

"I don't think I’ll be getting my security deposit back," Troy said, peering down at the dinner plate-sized burnt hole in the ground. We both walked back to the porch when I had an idea.

"Hey, do you have a lighter?" I asked, quirking my head at him.

“Yeah in the kitchen. To the right of the stove.”

I ran into the house. I rounded the corner and ran smack into Garrett. I bounced off him and went sprawling on my ass. Yup, still the same old me. I shook my head and stood up. Man, I have the grace God gave a three-legged dancing hippopotamus.

“Ouch, you shocked me,” he said, hand going to his chest.

Shit
.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there," I said, walking to the drawer. I found the small red lighter and turned to leave.

“Listen,” Garrett said, rubbing the nape of his neck. “Please do me a favor. I love that boy out there. He puts on a happy face, but I know he’s been through a lot in the past few months, so if you’re only going to bring him more pain … Well, I’ll have to ask you to leave.” His words found their way directly to my heart and nearly sliced it into small unrecognizable pieces. This man loved Troy. I did too. I knew he was right. I did not want to cause my friend any more pain than I already had.

I smiled and said softly, “I’m glad Troy has you.”

We both walked out of the house. Garrett gave Troy a swift kiss and then walked to his car and pulled away.

I motioned for Troy to stand with his back to the door of the house. I stood in front of him and held up the lighter.

"Okay, let's try this," I said as I raised my hand up between us, palm up. I flicked the lighter over my palm. The spark flew from the lighter and I pulled it to my hand. The flame that followed stung, but not badly. I fed the new spark with the power in my core and grew slightly.

“Whoa, I didn’t know you could do that!” he said, eyeing my hand.

I pulled the power back in myself. I had to stifle a shiver at the new spark. It was a delicious feeling, nearly erotic. Kind of like that feeling when you go over a small bump in a car. It made things go all tingly.

"Sometimes starting this way may be a little easier," I said.

He placed his hand between us and smirked. "Light me up, baby."

“Okay, as soon as you feel the flame in your palm, pull on your core, but not a lot. It should stay in your hand then you can add to the flame from your well,” I instructed, holding the lighter.

I held the lighter against his palm and flicked it on. The flame danced in his palm for a moment and then he caught it with his power. His eyes went wide at it, but he held steady. I smiled at him.

“Great job! Now, pull everything back into your core.”

He concentrated on the small ball of fire and then it faded to an ember then disappeared. A shiver wracked his body.

“Holy fucking hell. That felt amazing,” he said, smiling. His eyes darted behind me for a moment then returned.

“Again?” I asked, also grinning.

His jaw slackened and his eyes went wide at something just over my shoulder. Had he set my hair on fire? My hand went to my head, patting it down. That would be my luck. I turned around to see what had him so shocked.

The world stopped. The slight breeze that had the leaves swaying slightly, halted. The sounds of distant cars vanished. The pink haze from the setting sun faded. My heartbeat sped up. Even the sounds of my rushing blood and erratic pulse were gone. The world may have very well stopped turning. It was me and him. It would always be that way. I was in shock. Maybe it wasn't him, maybe it was some cosmic joke.

At seeing him, my hand flew to cover my heart, as though I could stop it from bursting in my chest. How? When? My thoughts were flooding me with questions, and I tried to grab on the edge of something.

"Delaney," Reid whispered in a low, controlled tone. He said it as though he was coaxing an injured deer.

My vision blurred.

I did the only thing I could. I let go of the edge, and I ran to him.

I SCENTED HER
before I ever saw her. The scent of ozone and gardenias wafted the air, and my heart felt as though it was being pulled in a direct line to her. Getting here hadn’t been easy. Little money and no identification made for slow travel. I was surprised to see her back facing me. Her plump little ass and hips, my cock twitched just at the sight of her. I was frozen in her presence. I couldn’t seem to make my feet move a single step closer to her. Just what was I afraid of? For the second time in my life, I was afraid. I was afraid of how she would look at me. Fuck afraid, I was terrified. This female. This girl held all of me in her palm, to do with as she wished.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened, them, I saw her turning toward me. My heart stopped and my breathing grew ragged. I nearly went to my knees. Her hand covered her heart as though the sight of me pained her. I took a small step toward her, but stopped myself. I needed her to come to me. I didn't know why it was so important, but it was.

Oh, hell no. I couldn’t cause her anymore pain. The words of the god in my dream hit me, “…she is breaking.” Had she already broken?

"Delaney," I whispered in a soft coaxing tone. My whole world narrowed to one single point. One single moment. Her and right now. She ran to me and oh, how the searing pain of the last few months seemed to ebb. The tears that streamed down her face fell from her cheeks like small falling stars. Then she was in my arms, her damp face buried in my chest. Nothing in my life had ever felt so certain. Right now, with this female, I felt as though I was where I should have always been.

I felt her softly trembling. Wait, no, sobbing. I pulled her tighter to me. We sank to the ground. Right where we stood. In front of this rickety old house, for everyone to see. I pulled her onto my lap, pressed my face into her hair and inhaled. Her scent assailed me. She smelled of home. She was muttering something I couldn't understand. I tried to pull back so I could better hear her, but she clung to me. My heart swelled at that simple action. Then I finally caught what she was uttering.