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Chapter 1
Amelia gave the list of things that had been Phil’s to the council. They weren’t happy about the fact that it went to non-witches, but she didn’t give a rat’s ass. Phil, as they had wanted, was dead—which he was—and he wasn’t going to be hurting anyone ever again.
“Once you found out where he was, why didn’t you take care of him later when they weren’t around.” She told them that everything still would have gone to them as they were the ones that had found him. “You could have taken care that it didn’t go to them somehow, couldn’t you? I mean, that’s a great deal of money, and we’ll get no part of it as they’re not witches.”
“Is that what this is about? You couldn’t pad your own money with his? Christ, no wonder it’s getting more and more difficult to keep witches from turning to the dark side. At least they don’t have to pay you guys when they make a little money on the side.” Number two told her to be civil to them as they were her council. “Perhaps you are, but that doesn’t mean I have to agree with you. And as usual, I don’t. The money has been given to them, and they’re the rightful owners of it. It’s done.”
It wasn’t, not really. The money was still in her possession, but the magic had been given to them. Unbeknownst to her, the entire family got the magic. There certainly was more than enough to go around. But she didn’t tell them that nor the fact that she’d been given a boost too. If they had gotten their heads out of their asses and not thought about themselves for a change, they should have noticed it. As it was now, she thought she could take them on and come out on top. Instead, she just let them talk among themselves about the injustice of the magic not coming to them. Then the five of them looked at her.
“We’ve made a decision.” She was just pissed off enough to ask them what it was going to cost her. “Good that you’re on board with us. We’ll take half your monies—there is a great deal of it, we know and have your magic spread out between the six of us. That way, we are compensated for your mistake.”
“What mistake would that be? The fact that you assigned me to make sure that Phil was no longer around, and I did that? Or the mistake I made in coming here to tell you the truth. Either way, you’re not getting shit from me or my magic. Also, and this might surprise you, too, I don’t give a shit if you were compensated or not. Not that you deserve anything, but you’re not going to get anything from me.” All she did was lift her hand, and the five of them disappeared. “Christ, love a duck.” She dropped to the floor.
“Hello, Amelia.” Amelia didn’t move from her position on the floor, not even to look up when she heard the woman speaking above her. It wasn’t that she didn’t know who it was. She just decided that she had better be paying her respects today. “Oh, do get up from there and talk to me. It’s been decades since I’ve had a conversation with you. Come now, get up.”
Not moving from the floor, she noticed that the five men that made up the witches’ council were gone. Not even the large elaborate desk they’d been sitting in was there any longer. Lying her head back on the floor, she spoke to the voice of the woman in the room with her.
“I didn’t kill them, did I?” She still hadn’t moved from the floor but raised her head just enough to look at the woman standing before her. “Mom, you look amazing. What have you been doing with yourself?”
“Thinking. Get up, Amelia. You’re going to make me get a crick in my neck like this, and I do need to speak to you.” She stood up, and a table and two chairs appeared beside her. “We’re having tea. Well, I am. You’re having some juice. In answer to your question, yes, they’re all five dead. You killed them, so when you leave here, I’d expect to take yourself someplace where you can rest. You won’t need to hide, darling. They’ve been causing trouble for far too long, anyway. Their magic, pitiful as it was, will come to you as well. You need to be prepared for it.”
“I told you before, I’m fine with what I have now.” They sat, and two under witches came to serve them. Not only were there several kinds of juice that she could choose from but there were fresh sandwiches and tea for her mother. “Why didn’t you do something about the five of them before today? I told you they were taking money that didn’t belong to them. Why today?”
“You were here to make sure that I can’t be blamed for their demise. You won’t either. I think that everyone will be thrilled to know that they’re dead. But with me being the grand witch, there would have had to be an investigation as well as an inquiry about shit. I’m not in the mood to go through all that. The way you took care of them will suffice the others more than adequately, I think. How have you been, darling?” She told her that she’d been great. “I’m so happy to hear that. I’ve been looking ahead—I know that you hate when I do that, but I’ve seen that you’re to have a mate soon.”
“You’ve said that to me before, mom. And my answer hasn’t changed in all this time. I don’t want a mate, and I have no need for one. I’ve seen how mates can destroy each other enough for several lifetimes of meanness and pettiness. I’m not going to allow anyone to treat me less than I deserve to be treated. Like a person, not a dishrag.” She told her that this man would never do that to her. “I’m sure you’d like to think that, but all men are dirtballs, and we both know it. Remember my father? He was jealous of everything you did. Even though he could have been better himself, he had too much fun making us feel bad for our ambition and worth.”
Her father had been gone so long that she couldn’t remember his voice, much less his face anymore. Amelia couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been to his garden to talk to him, either. The faeries took care of it all the time, and since she and her father had never been close, she just stopped going to talk to him. It would have been the same way when he’d been alive, she thought with a little laugh. All one-sided. Though it would have been hers this time.
“I will agree that he was a terrible role model for you, but not all men are like him. It took me a few hundred years to figure that out on my own as well.” She said that most were. “Perhaps you would know that better than me as I rarely have contact with anyone but you. However, you’ve met his brothers. And their wives.” She had to think about what she was saying and stood up twice before sitting back down on the chair.
“Mom, you don’t mean that I’m going to be mated to one of the Cross bears, do you?” Her mom smiled and nodded. Telling her that she was brilliant in the way she’d figured that out on her own. “I don’t think you understand how powerful they are in their own right. Not to mention the whole thing about me not wanting a mate. I’m sure I’ve explained that to you before, correct?” Her mother never listened to her when it came to what she wanted for her. She was as…well, as stubborn as she was at times.
“Sure you do. You just need to meet the right man. His name is Frazier. Such a good strong name, don’t you think? And he works with the elements of the earth when he works with his artistry. I’m not sure that he understands that he and the earth are a great deal alike, but you should see some of his work. Amelia, he’s a brilliant man, and he loves the earth as much as you do.” She didn’t bother speaking to her mom about it. She knew her feelings about having a mate. “He and his family will need you in the very near future, child. He, along with one of his brothers, will be dreadfully murdered if you don’t accept my word on this. As soon as you do, he’ll have all the power he needs to survive what is coming his way.”
“Just fix it, so he’s all right without me being his mate. You can do that, can’t you? For your only child? Mom, do you have any idea how much I’ve worked at being single.” She nodded at her. “Then you understand why I won’t do this. Just fix it up for them, and I’ll go about my merry little way. You and I will pretend that this conversation never happened. What do you think about that?”
“I’m dying, Amelia. I want to die, but it’s coming to me faster than I had thought when I made plans with the earth to bring the two of you together. You must listen to me when I tell you that Frazier will be a great man to you and not a better mate to have around either.” She asked her what she was talking about, fearful of what her mom might say to her. “I’ve been around longer than most of the earth, and its creatures, child. You know this. I am exhausted. More so than I’ve ever been. My magic, while strong, is boring to me too. Without a mate here, I have no one I can depend on. I know I can depend on you, but even that is becoming too much for me. I’m lonely and bored to pieces, child.”
“As you said, you can depend on me. I come to you every time you call for me, don’t I? I’ll always be here for you, Mom. I’ve said that to you before. Just call, and I’ll be right here for you.” She said that it wasn’t the same. She had no one to share with. “Of course you do. You can share with me.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Amelia realized her mistake. Giving her mom the opening she’d been waiting for, Amelia knew she was going to be in big trouble. Her mom took her hand into hers, and the magic poured over her. Even as she was overpowered with her mom’s considerable magic, she could see the trouble that a man she thought was Frazier was going to be killed in. As soon as it occurred to her who he was, the magic pulled him to safety along with his brother.
Christ, she was going to have to sleep for years at the rate that the magic was coming to her. The magic and the knowledge that came with it made her head spin around. She was, at one point, sick with it. Just as she was thinking that it might be coming to an end, where the magic was all shared with her, another wave of it hit her, taking her under and out.
Waking up, she was in her old bedroom in her mother’s home. Sitting up, she sat there for several seconds until her head or the room, she wasn’t sure which it was, stopped spinning. Her body ached as well. Painfully in places that she’d forgotten existed on a person.
Finally thinking that she could move without falling over, she made her way into the hall to find her mom. Damn it, there was going to be hell to pay when she found her. She’d tricked her, plain and simple. Instead of finding her mom, Amelia found one of the under witches that worked for her.
“Where is she?” She bowed before her and told her she’d been lain to rest. “No, I mean…what do you mean she’s been laid to rest? She wasn’t to leave me right now. Where is my mom?”
“Your mother left you a message, my lady. Shall I bring it to you?” Amelia asked her to take her to her mother and bring her the note there. “She is in the faerie garden not far from here. As per her magic, once she had transferred the magic to you, she was magically put into the garden where she could rest until eternity. Also, per her wishes, she is not near your father. He is on the outer rim of the castle here so that he’d not disturb her during her resting time.”
The garden was just where she’d been told it would be. There were fresh flowers, most of them bachelor buttons, her mom’s favorite flower, around the small stone that marked her passing. The note she’d left for her only said that she loved her dearly and that she hoped that she’d be as happy as she was at this moment.
The stone was cold. However, she didn’t take her hand away once she touched it. Asking her what she’d done to her, Amelia cried. Her heart was broken. Her mother was gone, and she’d been given the magic that had all been hers. Also, her title of the grand witch. Another thing that she hadn’t wanted but was now in charge of.
Amelia decided it was time for her to go and see her mate. There was very little she could do but to take him on now. Simply because she didn’t want a man in her life didn’t negate the fact that she had one. Her mother had always been tricky, but Amelia thought this was her biggest slick trick of all time.
