Witch Emerging (High Witch Book 2) Read online

  Emily looked at her fondly. “Alright. I’ll get you those books. Wait here.”

  She walked over to a bookshelf on the other side of the room and began to search while Brayden stared at his wife. He walked over and kissed her on the cheek.

  “What was that for?” she asked, smiling.

  He ran his hand over her hair. “Because you’re amazing. Still wanting to help people. Still loving our child. You’re the sweetest person I’ve ever met. I couldn’t be more in love with you if I tried.”

  Ariel smiled at up him, then stood up and gave him a hug. They stood together, embracing, Brayden hoping everything would go alright. They didn’t need another trial—they didn’t need another ordeal. Would this one work out like their other problems had?

  Or were they really in trouble?

  Chapter 6

  Sean sat in a tavern, drinking ale from a large glass and counting down the time until he could see Hallie again. It was early afternoon, and the place wasn’t full. He’d wandered around the town all day but was dying to get back to her. He’d been dying to get back to her since he’d arrived home, his heart sinking when he learned she’d left town. He couldn’t expect her to be waiting for him, but he was filled with anxiety as he traveled to where she lived now. He was petrified she would tell him to leave again, and she did. She did! But he couldn’t settle for that, not after all those months of thinking about her. Longing for her. Dreaming about her. He’d left so she could grow into who she needed to be, but there was always the chance she wouldn’t want him when he returned. He was glad he was still in her heart.

  A smile touched his lips, remembering how they’d kissed that morning. Oh, he could kiss her forever. She tasted amazing, melted into his arms, fit him perfectly. She was his other half, the part of him that had been missing for so long. He wanted desperately to kiss her again. Wanted to take her to bed. He’d have to wait until she was ready, but he hoped she wouldn’t make him wait too long. He sighed deeply, trying to stop thinking about her. All in time.

  Sean looked up as a man entered the tavern. He was about his age, tall, and skinny, with black hair. Sean looked away as the man walked up to the bar, then idly noticed him sit at a table near him a little while later. He drained the last of his drink, thinking he’d walk around some more, when he noticed the man smiling at him. Sean frowned, wondering if he was some kind of idiot.

  The dark-haired man laughed. “I was just remembering what I saw earlier today. You with Hallie. You’re a lucky man, I can tell you. No one’s been able to get near her. I guess she prefers redheads or something.”

  The man grinned, taking a swig of his drink, but Sean just looked away. Let the fool taunt him.

  To his displeasure the fellow walked up and sat at his table, thumped his drink down, and slumped into his chair. “She’s quite interesting,” he said, drumming his fingers on the table. “I mean, she works as a scribe, usually a man’s job, and she barely talks to anyone. A pretty thing like her should be married by now. Or at least be taken by someone. I’d certainly take her—believe me, I’ve tried.”

  Sean lurched forward, grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, and dragged him towards him. Sean glared at him, knowing he was overreacting but having an immediate hatred for the idiot. He snarled. “You’re going to shut your mouth, and you’re going to walk out of here before I throw you out. Hallie wouldn’t go near you if her life depended on it. I suggest you stop talking, turn around, and leave.” Sean shoved the man backward, making him stumble over his chair and nearly fall to the ground.

  The man laughed as he righted himself, slamming his hands on the table. “Well, why don’t we settle this like men? Outside. Warlock to warlock.” The man placed his hand before him, palm out, and a ball of fire appeared above it. He closed his fist, smoke pouring out of his hand.

  Sean gritted his teeth. “I’m not a warlock, but I can still hurt you. But I have no desire to fight such an idiot. Just get out. If I see you near Hallie, I won’t hold back then.” Sean expected the man to argue, but he just stood up and began to walk away. Sean thought it was odd the man would just quit like that. A horrible feeling settled in his stomach. Sean called out to him. “Hey, what’s your name?”

  The man didn’t turn around. “Nicholas,” he called over his shoulder. He paused when he reached the door, looking back. “I expect you’ll remember that. I expect you’ll remember it well.” And then he left.

  ***

  Hallie floated home from work, nervous about seeing Sean again but so happy she could barely contain it. She’d thought about him all day and was barely able to concentrate, but somehow got work done. She walked down the wide street and saw Sean pacing at the front of her house in the distance. She smiled, thinking he was anxious to see her, but her heart fell when she approached him. He looked so distressed, a scowl on his face, and he grasped her arm when she reached him.

  “What was the name of the man who you said bothered you?” he asked. “The one who knew about your past?”

  Hallie had to think for a moment. “N-Nicholas,” she stammered, suddenly anxious.

  Sean growled. “Dammit,” he muttered. “Come on, let’s get inside.”

  Hallie fumbled with her key, opened the door, and hurried through. Sean walked in after her, shut the door loudly, then began to pace again. Hallie moved in front of him, making him stop. “What is it? What happened?”

  He clenched his jaw. “I met this fool today—or at least I thought he was a fool. His name was Nicholas, he had black hair, and was tall and skinny.”

  Hallie frowned, knowing it was him. She nodded, and Sean continued.

  “He was talking about you, being stupid, but I think the whole time he was just trying to figure out if I was a warlock. When he found out I wasn’t, he walked out, but he was so… smug, so… ugh, I should have beaten him when I had the chance. He’s up to something, I don’t know what, but it’s about you. If he goes near you, I’ll kill him.”

  Hallie suddenly found herself smiling a little.

  Sean looked at her quizzically. “What? What’s so funny?”

  Her smile grew a little wider. “All that talk about me taking care of myself, defending myself, and you’re ready to kill anyone who bothers me? Sean, I don’t know what this man wants—and I am scared, I admit it—but I don’t want you worrying too much. If you worry, I’ll worry, and, well… I’d rather just spend time with you. Isn’t that why you’re here?” Hallie took a breath, worried Sean would start ranting about Nicholas again, but his expression softened and he visibly relaxed. He moved forward and placed his arms around her shoulders, and Hallie snuggled up to him. She sighed deeply.

  “I’m not going to forget about him,” Sean murmured, “but I will stop thinking about him right now. Did you have a good day?”

  “Yes,” Hallie breathed, reveling in being in his arms. “It was lovely. After this morning.” She giggled a little, embarrassed, but Sean only kissed her hair. They stood like that for a while, not speaking, with Hallie listening to Sean’s heartbeat. She was comforted by the steady thud, then noticed it going a little faster. She looked up at him, and he was gazing at her. He gently touched her face, a small smile on his lips. She blushed. “I’ve missed you,” she said.

  “Me too.”

  They stood in silence for a while. Hallie found she was stuck for what to say—her and Sean had spoken about everything when they were younger, every dream and hope and anything they went through—but now it was different. They’d fallen into each other’s arms that morning, but now she felt embarrassed. She didn’t know what he’d been doing the last couple of years. Had he been with other women? What had his life been like? What had he gone through? They had so much to talk about, so much to catch up on. She met Sean’s gaze and found he was smiling at her again. She giggled. “What?”

  He kissed her forehead. “Come on, we need to sit down. I want to hear everything about your life since I saw you last. I want to hear about you leaving home, your
work, everything. And you can ask me anything.”

  Hallie remembered he’d said that earlier too. She wondered if she really could. “Alright,” she said, leading him to the settee. When he was sitting beside her, she took his hand, looking at the table. She didn’t know how to word her question. She decided just to come out with it. “Sean have you… did you… I mean, while you were away, were there any….” She stopped, letting go of his hand to cover her face.

  He put his hand on her back. “Were there any what?” She looked at him, and he gazed back knowingly. He kissed her on the cheek. “I only thought of you,” he whispered. “My heart was yours. It was always yours.”

  She looked at him in surprise, her heart melting slightly. “Really? There wasn’t any… I mean, no one?”

  He smiled. “I’d been with two girls back when I was living at home, but while I was away, not a single soul. I remembered what you said the last time we spoke, how you were upset I’d kissed other girls. I was… involved with them, but no one since. I was sorry I’d upset you. I didn’t realize you were jealous. I’d thought you cared about me that way, but I was never sure… When I was, I couldn’t be with anyone else. Even though you told me to leave. Even though you said you didn’t want me.”

  Hallie looked at him closely. It was the second time he had mentioned her saying that to him. She put her hands on either side of his face, making him look at her. “I did want you. I always did, I always will. I was just hurt. But you were right, Sean—you were right back then. I did need to believe in myself and be strong. We couldn’t be together back then. But I always, always wanted you, and it broke my heart when you left. I missed you every day. I cried…” She shut her eyes, putting her hand over her mouth, feeling the tears start to come. She couldn’t help it—she began to sob, her sadness overtaking her.

  Sean cuddled her, drew her to him, and leaned her head against his chest. He kept kissing her hair, saying he was sorry.

  They stayed like that until Hallie stopped crying, taking deep breaths. Sean handed her a handkerchief from his pocket. She tried to smile as she wiped her eyes. “So much for talking,” she said, smiling weakly. “I’ll just sit here and blubber all day, shall I?”

  Sean laughed. “You’re so amazing,” he said, smiling at her. “Oh, Hallie, what are we going to do? I want to be with you—I don’t want any pain between us. How can I show you how I feel?”

  She looked at him, her breath caught in her throat, and her heart starting to beat faster. He gazed at her intently, then slowly leaned in closer. He took the handkerchief out of her hand and touched her face, grazing her skin with the tips of his fingers. She could barely breathe she was so nervous. He moved his lips to hers and kissed her.

  He kissed her slowly, moving his lips tenderly against hers, making her quiver all over. He held her to him, and the kiss became more intense, his tongue moving in her mouth, her own entwined with his. He moved his hand so it was cradling the back of her head and pressed her body up against his. Hallie felt herself come alive as they touched, every inch of her buzzing, all of her senses heightened, her stomach filled with a marvelous feeling. Sean clutched her, making her gasp, then eventually she broke the kiss so she could breathe.

  She looked into his eyes, his gaze so intense and dark, both of them breathing heavily. She wanted to keep kissing him but knew where that would lead. Was she ready? They’d only just reunited. She really did love Sean but didn’t want to get carried away. She didn’t know if she was there yet.

  As if he could read her mind, he released her, moved back slightly, and took her hand. “I don’t want to rush you. I adore you. I could kiss you all day. I will if you’ll let me. But I’m not going to push you. I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

  She nodded, loving him more by the second. She smiled a little. “Could you? Kiss me all day.”

  He laughed, cuddling her close to him again. “Alright. But tell me to stop when you want me to.”

  He leaned his head down and moved his lips against hers again, and all of the sensations she’d just been feeling rushed back. She became lost in the embrace, her hands running down the muscles of his arms, her soul delighting in every groan that escaped him. It was all fire and passion and light, and she felt her magic flow within her. They did become carried away, but she didn’t want to stop. It just felt so good.

  Sean pulled back and asked her if she wanted him to go, but she said no, craving him so much. They touched each other all over, eventually making it to her bedroom, exploring each other.

  He was all she wanted. She’d never felt so alive.

  Chapter 7

  “Mama, what are you and Papa giving me for my birthday tomorrow?”

  Ariel watched her daughter sitting by the pond in the forest, twirling an orange leaf between her fingers. She knelt down, running her hand over her silky, light-brown curls. “Six is a very special birthday, Erica,” she said. “You’ll be starting school soon. We’ve gotten you some presents to help with that.”

  Erica frowned, her blue eyes looking distressed. “But I wanted a dolly.”

  Ariel laughed gently. “Maybe you will get a doll. You’ll see, my darling. I can’t ruin the surprise.”

  Erica stood up and wrapped her arms around Ariel’s neck. “Will you teach me new spells, now that I’m a big girl?”

  Ariel looked at her fondly. “Of course. But you always have to remember to be careful with your magic. Your magic is very strong. You’re a special witch.”

  “Just like you.”

  “Yes, my darling. Just like me.”

  Erica kissed her on the cheek, then ran away, dashing around the pond in circles.

  Ariel stood, watching her. She was everything she wanted. Everything she and Brayden had hoped for. She was their perfect little girl.

  ***

  Brayden sat in one of the armchairs in the front room the next morning, his feet up on the low table, reading about locating spells in one of the books his mother had lent them. Ariel was still asleep, and Brayden didn’t want to wake her. He knew she was feeling upset about what was going on and wanted her to rest. He turned the page, thinking this spell was going to be very difficult, when Ariel walked into the room.

  He straightened, gazing at her. She looked… different. Much more relaxed. Her eyes were filled with warmth, and she had a small smile on her lips. She sat on the settee, and he joined her.

  “She’s beautiful, Brayden,” she said, taking his hands. “Our daughter is so beautiful. She’s warm and sweet and kind and gorgeous. She’s perfect and so lovely. Better than we could ever hope for.”

  Brayden looked at her, puzzled. “It’s almost as if you’ve already seen her,” he joked, smiling, but Ariel only held his face in her hands and kissed him gently.

  “I have,” she whispered to his surprise. “I had a dream—a vision. She was six, and I was sitting with her. She was the sweetest girl I’ve ever seen. And darling, she looked exactly like you. She had your eyes, the same color hair, your smile. She’s our gorgeous little girl, and we’ll all be together. All of us.”

  Ariel began to cry, wrapping her arms around Brayden’s neck, but she didn’t seem sad. She seemed relieved. Brayden held her closely, filled with relief himself. Ariel would live! He was so happy. “Of course we’ll be together, Ariel. You’ll live to see our girl. Is she… did you see if she was….”

  “Yes, she’s a High Witch,” Ariel said, looking at him. They sat in silence for a while, gazing into each other’s eyes. They held hands, both thinking the same thing, Brayden suspected. How would this work out? How could there be four High Witches at once? Would there be? Or would one of the other High Witches have to die for their child to live?

  “It’s good to know she’s a High Witch for certain,” he said, not doubting Ariel’s vision for a moment. “Hopefully she won’t be too hard on you.” He put his hand on her stomach.

  Ariel smiled, placing her hand over his. “I’ll manage. She’s not really trying to hurt me
, Brayden. I-I saw what we named her. I know we have to talk about it—we both have to decide—but I like what was in my vision. Her name was Erica.”

  Brayden thought about it for a moment. “Erica…” he murmured, his mind mulling over the name. He smiled. “I like it. It’s sweet. Does that name mean anything to you?”

  Ariel smiled shyly, looking down. “It was my mother’s name,” she said quietly. “I don’t even remember what she looked like. I was so young when my parents died, but I know that was her name. Erica. I like it, too. And it suited her. She looked like an Erica.”

  Brayden started laughing. “Well, that settles it, then,” he said, kissing her. “Erica it is. Erica Michaelson. Did you see any other children? A boy, perhaps? Twin boys. And a puppy. Maybe a cat. We’ll name her Mittens.”

  Ariel giggled, hugging him. They held each other for a long time, some of the stress that had been hanging over them the last couple of days starting to lessen. Ariel sighed against him, nestled close, and rested her face against his neck.

  Brayden loved holding her like that, loved the way she fit him, warm and soft and perfect. He gently rubbed her back, kissing her neck every so often, enjoying being close to her. They lay down on the settee, Brayden on his back and Ariel lying over him, just holding each other. He actually felt at peace, as they had been for quite some time before the mess of the last couple of days. He felt a calmness flow over him. He hoped she felt it, too.

  ***

  “I think I’ve figured it out.”

  Brayden looked over at Ariel, who was sitting beside him. She had been working on the locating spell all afternoon, figuring out how she was going to cast it to find the older High Witch.