Witch’s Mark Page 4

  Whether that was here in Willow Harbor or somewhere else, I still didn’t know. But change was coming.

  I could feel it in my bones.

  Six

  Anna

  The morning was busier than ever, but I couldn’t help hoping Slade would make an appearance.

  I scanned the faces of everyone that approached PRESTO!, holding my breath with each new person that stepped forward.

  It was ridiculous, really. I’d never been particularly boy-crazy, as Gran liked to call it, but I had hardly been able to get Slade out of my mind. There was just something about him that called to me.

  Which was silly.

  He was just a random guy doing business in Willow Harbor. The minute he crossed the town border on his way out, he’d probably forget half of what he’d experienced here. That was the way it was. No one who didn’t belong here ever remembered us.

  Sure, he’d remember bits and pieces of his time here, but it would be vague and distant, as if this town were some memory from long ago.

  There were plenty of gorgeous, fun guys here in Willow Harbor, but the truth was that none of them had ever really caught my eye.

  I’d always believed that if there was someone out there meant for me, that was exactly where they were. Out there. Beyond the city limits in another town.

  Which was exactly the kind of thought that terrified Gran. And for good reason. Leaving Willow Harbor hadn’t done my mother any favors, and I would do well to remember that.

  Sweat trickled down the back of my neck, and I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand as I stood in front of the small fan I’d mounted to the wall of the truck. The summer heat was really ramping up, and I hadn’t had a chance to have proper air conditioning installed here in the back.

  I glanced around, making sure no one who shouldn’t know about my magic was watching, and I pulled a little of my magic into my heart.

  I focused on the air around me, causing the breeze to kick up a notch.

  Being a witch had its perks.

  I waited for a little while longer, cleaning up as the last of the lunch crowd disappeared.

  I needed to pack up and head home so I could start my deliveries, but I kept hoping Slade would show. I’d already lingered too long, though.

  If I was lucky, I’d be done just in time for dinner tonight.

  I cleaned up from the busy morning, and just as I was about to close the window and head home, one final customer appeared in front of me.

  In the light of day, he took my breath away.

  His eyes were the color of the ocean on a stormy day. His dark hair and tanned skin contrasted with the bluish-grey, and when he smiled, I nearly forgot my own name.

  I stared at him like a lost puppy for a long moment before I finally pulled myself out of whatever trance he’d put me in.

  “Hey,” I said. “I was hoping you’d stop by today, but I was just about to close up. Most of the good stuff’s already gone, I’m sorry to say.”

  “Ah, well, I’m not much of a breakfast person,” he said. “Besides, I didn’t really come for the pastries.”

  My heart literally leapt into my throat, cutting off my ability to breathe right. Holy cow, this guy had an effect on me that defied reason.

  “I had an unexpected cancellation this afternoon, and I was hoping maybe I could take you up on that offer to show me around,” he said. “If you’re still up for it, that is.”

  My mouth hung open in surprise, and I quickly snapped it shut and glanced at the clock over the window.

  Gran would be expecting me in half an hour, and after the way she’d been acting lately with my birthday and all, I hated to disappoint her.

  But how often did I get the chance to show a guy like Slade around town?

  Besides, he’d never even been in the ocean. It would be rude not to at least walk him down to the beach.

  I bit my lower lip, knowing this was going to get me in some trouble back home.

  “If it’s not a good time, I can just walk around on my own,” he said. “I just thought it would be nice to have some company for a change.”

  “No, it’s fine,” I said. “I have some work to do back at the farm this afternoon, but I’m sure it will be okay for me to do it later.”

  “Farm?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.

  “Family business,” I muttered. I reached for my cell phone and quickly messaged my cousin, Julie to see if she could cover the afternoon deliveries.

  I never asked for her help, but the truth was I did more than a lot of my cousins during the summer. It wouldn’t hurt her to help out one afternoon, right?

  “I would never have imagined you as a farm girl,” he said, that charming smile spreading across his face again. “At least not from that dress you were wearing last night.”

  My eyes grew wide as a warm blush rushed up my neck to my cheeks. “Oh, gosh, that wasn't even my dress,” I said. “My friend Lucy was determined to show me a wild time for my birthday.”

  “I liked it,” he said, leaning casually against the side of the truck.

  I turned away and brought a nervous hand to my lips. Was he seriously flirting with me?

  I’d gotten so used to most of the guys in town treating me like I was their cute little sister that I hadn’t had much practice in this kind of stuff.

  I took a deep breath and attempted to pull myself together. Of course he was flirting with me. What else would he be doing here, asking me to show him around town in the middle of the afternoon?

  Part of me wanted to tell him I had other plans and drive away as fast as this old truck would carry me. But a bigger part of me—the part that had been longing for adventure all these years—screamed for me to take a chance.

  “Anna?” he asked.

  “Just a second,” I said, pretending to be cleaning a counter that was already pristine as I gathered my thoughts.

  It was just a simple walk around town. Maybe a short trip down to the beach. No harm in that. I’d be back at the farm by three or four at the latest.

  Besides, I deserved a little fun in my life. I’d been working two jobs for months.

  Finally, when my cheeks had hopefully returned to a normal color, I spun around and nodded. “Okay, let’s do it,” I said. “I could use some time off, anyway. I don’t get to the beach nearly enough these days, as it is.”

  “Great,” he said. “Need any help shutting things down? Or are you about ready to go?”

  I lifted the stained apron over my head and hung it on the hook beside the fridge. “I’m just about ready to go,” I said. “Let me just close up. I’ll be right out.”

  I shut the order window, made sure everything was tidy inside, and stepped out through the back door of the truck. I only had a permit to be parked in this spot until two every afternoon, but I hardly thought the cops would cite me for an hour or so of extra time.

  “Lead the way,” Slade said, stepping beside me so close, his arm brushed mine.

  I shivered as a warm summer breeze blew over us, and I wondered again about that feeling of something bigger stirring in the air.

  And just when I looked back, the wind flowed through the branches of the ancient willow, as if she were nodding in agreement.

  Seven

  Slade

  Getting Anna to show me around Willow Harbor wasn't difficult. What was tough was keeping my eyes off of her.

  Last night before I drifted off to sleep, I’d convinced myself that my excitement was purely about finding her. Not about the connection we’d seemed to share.

  But now, there was no denying it.

  I really liked her.

  She was adorably nervous, giggling whenever she realized she was talking too much or stumbling over her own feet when she wasn't concentrating. The more we talked, the more I found myself relaxing around her.

  So much so that I almost forgot the reason why I was with her in the first place.

  Which was dangerous. I needed to stay focused on the j
ob, regardless of how I felt about her.

  But Anna had this way of making me feel that I couldn’t quite explain. There was just something about the joy that radiated from her, as if she were one of the rare people on this earth who were truly happy.

  I hadn’t spent much of my life around happy people. Happy women in particular.

  The women of the Disciples of Light were seen as possessions more than actual human beings. They were tools to heighten the magic of the wizards who ruled the Disciples. They were mothers and servants.

  Anna wouldn’t do well in a place like that. Despite the name of the Disciples, they would steal the light from her eyes in less than a week. I was sure of it.

  The familiar stab of guilt pained me as I stared at her beautiful brown eyes. She was truly lit from the inside, as if there were a constant fire burning inside of her.

  I didn’t want to be the one to take that away from her, but my father was right. This woman was the key to our freedom. I had a responsibility to my entire family. They were counting on me.

  I couldn’t forget that, no matter how much I liked her.

  “Do you want to head down to the beach for a little while?” she asked, fanning herself with her hand. “It’s ridiculously hot out here today. I’m sweating my tail off.”

  I suppressed a laugh.

  “I would love to head down to the beach,” I said. “Though the town is really nice, too. It seems like everyone here knows each other. After visiting a lot of big cities, it’s a welcome change.”

  “It has its drawbacks, believe me,” she said. “When everyone knows you, it can get pretty boring. It’s also hard to keep any secrets.”

  “Secrets?” I asked. “You don’t seem like the kind of person who has a lot of secrets.”

  She shrugged and tried to laugh it off. “I guess not,” she said. “Not really.”

  “Did you grow up here your whole life?” I asked as we made our way down to the Boardwalk.

  It was a busy day with a lot of people out on the beach and in the shops. As we walked, several people did a double-take, no doubt surprised to see the outsider with a member of one of the town’s most well-known families.

  “Most of my life,” she said. “I wasn't born here, but my Gran brought me here to live with her when I was only four.”

  Another piece of information that fell in line with the woman I was searching for.

  It should have been exciting, but I couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Part of me hoped this wasn't Elisha’s daughter, after all. The more I got to know her, the more I wanted to be wrong.

  “And your mom?” I asked.

  I watched her face closely, knowing this could very well be dangerous territory. I didn’t want to upset her and have her run off on me, but I needed to be certain this was the same girl from all those years ago.

  Anna frowned but tried to cover it by squinting up at the bright sunlight.

  “She’s not in the picture anymore,” she said, not elaborating.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I lost my mother at a young age, as well.”

  “You did?” she asked, turning to look at me.

  I nodded. “She passed away when I was twelve.”

  Passed away was a nice way of putting it. In truth, she was brutally murdered by Elisha right in front of me, but Anna didn’t need to know that.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said. “Were you guys close?”

  “Very,” I said, sadness heavy on my heart at the thought of her. I still hadn’t gotten over her death, and I wasn't sure I ever would. “I still miss her.”

  “I miss my mom, too,” she said.

  She moved closer to me as we walked, her arm bumping against mine. For some crazy reason, I felt the urge to take her hand. To let her know that I understood, probably a lot more than she could even imagine.

  After all, her mother had died the same way as mine, even if she didn’t yet know that.

  “Do you remember much about her?” I asked. “Four is pretty young.”

  “I hardly remember her at all, to be honest,” she said. “Which I think makes it tougher in some ways. I wish I had at least a few really strong memories of her left, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t remember much about my early years of life. Most of my memories start after I got to Willow Harbor and the farm.”

  The energy between us had shifted suddenly. Maybe it was that we shared a similar trauma, or maybe it was just that we were talking about difficult things, but the ease and joy I’d felt earlier was fading.

  Surprisingly, I felt closer to her now than ever. I wanted to tell her the truth about her mother and about the way I’d grown up. The people I wanted so badly to save.

  I wanted to tell her how her mother had saved her from a life of horror when she got her out of there.

  I’d never had anyone to talk to about these things, but I knew that Anna would understand how hard it had been for me.

  But I couldn’t tell her the truth. Not without ruining everything.

  Instead, I changed the subject, closing off the part of me that wanted to confess the truth and open my heart to her.

  I wasn't the kind of guy who opened his heart. Not since my mother died.

  It was easier just to maintain the walls and keep everyone at arm’s length. I was a loner, which ended up being best for everyone around me.

  Once I had secured the freedom of my father and sisters, I would go somewhere I could blend in and disappear.

  “It’s too beautiful out here to talk about sad things,” I said. “Let’s do something fun.”

  She laughed, and the sound instantly lightened my mood, as if she were made of pure magic.

  “It’s the beach, silly. Everything here is fun,” she said. “And if you’ve honestly never even put your feet in the sand or been touched by a wave, we have to get down to that beach right now. It will literally change your life forever.”

  She grabbed my hand, and the moment her skin touched mine, my mouth went dry and my heart raced.

  It was hard to describe, but connecting to her in such a simple way suddenly felt like home. Like being seen for the first time.

  I pulled my hand away and shoved it in my pocket. I didn’t need Anna to truly see me.

  She wouldn’t like what she saw.

  “Lead the way,” I said, trying to laugh off my awkward reaction.

  Anna cleared her throat and rubbed her palm on her shorts, as if trying to rub off the feel of my skin on hers.

  I hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings, but she’d taken me off-guard.

  “You have to take your shoes off,” she said, motioning to my feet. “And probably roll your jeans up. It’s not really the full beach experience if you don’t put your feet in the water, even just for a minute.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I said. I held onto the railing of the stairs leading down to the main part of the public beach while I slipped off my shoes and socks and rolled my jeans up a little bit.

  “Okay, let’s go,” she said, running down the steps and out onto the sand, laughing. She kicked off her shoes as she went, not seeming to even care where they landed. “Come on.”

  “We just leave this stuff here?” I asked. “What if someone takes it?”

  “Don’t be silly,” she said. “No one’s going to steal your smelly old shoes.”

  “Hey, these are new,” I said.

  “Just leave them,” she said. She turned and ran down to the blue-green water that sparkled with the sun’s rays.

  I ran after her, feeling more like I was on vacation than on a job. Man, my sisters would have loved to be here with me. Very few people ever got to leave the main compound. I guess I was the lucky one, getting to experience more than just life there with the others, but doing what I had to do was more of a curse, even if the others didn’t understand that.

  I didn’t want to think about that now, though.

  I left my worries behind as I ran across the sand, touching the grainy surface of
the beach for the very first time.

  I reached down and scooped up a handful, letting the sand sift through my fingers.

  “Come down to the water. It’s amazing,” she shouted.

  She stood at the edge of the surf, her feet covered up to her ankles in water as a wave traveled onto shore. She kicked at the water, spraying it up into the air. The sun filtered through her loose blonde curls, and her eyes sparkled with fun.

  Was this what it was like to be truly free?

  Out here with her, I could almost imagine what my life could have been like if I hadn’t been born into the Disciples of Light. For a moment, I allowed myself to get lost in the daydream.

  To pretend that this moment was the only thing in the world that was real.

  I headed down to the water and watched in awe as the next wave swept over my feet and legs. Deep inside, my power ignited in a way I hadn’t been expecting. Just as the waves surged forward, a wave of power flowed through me, stronger than ever.

  “Wow,” I whispered as I leaned down to touch the surface of the water with my palms.

  I didn’t mean to connect to my power in that moment, but I couldn’t help myself. I got swept away by the moment of it, allowing my power to flow forth from my fingertips.

  The top of the water shimmered with a bright light that rippled out in circles.

  “Holy, what?” Anna whispered. “Did you do that?”

  I sucked in a nervous breath. “I guess I did,” I said. “I didn’t mean to.”

  “Do it again,” she said.

  I glanced around at the crowded beach full of people. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

  She caught my gaze and held it. “You don’t have to worry about that here,” she said. “This is a safe place for people like us.”

  “Us?” I asked, the skin on my arms breaking out in goosebumps.

  I knew, of course, that she was like me, but hearing her so openly connect us together in that way, as if we were the same, unlocked something inside me I hadn’t even known was there.