Blood Rush (The Lost Witch Trilogy #2)
Read Blood Rush (The Lost Witch Trilogy #2) Online
Authors: Katie Lee O'Guinn
Blood Rush
By
Katie Lee O’Guinn
For Do, Bean, Jees, K-bob, Tuck and Shay-Shay
Life would just be too boring without you
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and events are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owner.
Contents
Chapter 6 - Kicked to the Curb
Sneak Peak at Fate Changer – Book #3 in The Lost Witch Trilogy
Chapter 1 - A Change in Plans
Sneak Peak at Book 1 in The Taming The Wolf Trilogy, Werewolf Dreams
Chapter 1 – Summer Vacation
Chapter 1 - Premonition
Francis Livingston pulled her sweater tighter around herself as she stared broodingly out across the ocean. Standing on the widow’s walk of her home always centered her and brought her peace.
But not today
. Too much had happened and so much was getting ready to happen. Rockland Maine had been free from Charles Langford for almost eighteen years. Her lines of protection were strong but she had no idea if she could truly keep him out. From the news she gathered from other witche
s around the world, Charles had been busy gaining more and more power over the years and by means too evil to comprehend. He’d broken his own family to gain what he wanted and had killed them in the process. He had no morals, no compassion and no heart. His only motive in life was to destroy, to take and to own.
And now he wanted Sarah.
“Sarah is so much stronger than I imagined, so why do I feel so uneasy Bea? Something’s wrong. I feel danger, but I can’t see it. Tell me what I’m missing,” she demanded.
Beatrice ran a hand through her short brown waves and leaned against the wooden railing of the widow’s walk. “Frannie, you’re always seeing shadows that aren’t there. Just last month you said a huge disaster was about to take place and the only bad thing that happened was Conrad Gaminski asked me out on a date.”
Francis snorted and shook her head at her friend. “Perspective Bea. Last month, Charles made contact with Sarah’s aunt Lena and made plans to attain her. I would call that disastrous.”
Bea winced and sighed heavily. “Speaking of Sarah and all the others, are you up for this? You’ve been on your own for a long time and now you’ve got a house full of strangers. Are you really going to teach her?”
Francis frowned into the wind and tightened her hands on the wood railing. “He’s coming for her Bea. I can’t let him take her power, her essence. If I stand back and do nothing now, I’m just as guilty as if I gift wrapped her and handed her over to him. She needs to be prepared. I’m getting older every second and someday soon, Charles will be able to walk through this town just like he did eighteen years ago. You better believe I’ll teach her.”
Beatrice rubbed her friend’s back comfortingly. “He’ll back off now that he knows she’s under you protection. He’ll focus on someone or something else.”
Francis swallowed and shook her head. “He won’t back off Bea. I can feel it. The only thing that gives me hope is that boy they brought with them. Zane. Now we have a real chance.”
Beatrice clucked comfortingly and took Francis’ hand in hers. “Let’s go inside Frannie. It’s getting cold.”
Francis let her friend draw her away, but she looked over her shoulder one last time and noticed a lone crow flying slowly in circles over the water. She shuddered as if a blast of cold wind had slapped her. She pulled out of Beatrice’s hold and turned to face the ocean again. She stared hard at the ocean and watched as a giant hand of water reached up into the air to grasp the bird. The bird screamed in rage and flew high out of the reach of the water. The hand collapsed back into the dark waves of water as the crow flew out of sight.
Francis felt her heart beating fast and let a shuddering breath out.
“
Frannie
?”
Francis shook her head and led the way into the house. “We haven’t got much time.”
Chapter 2 - Porch Lights
Sarah groaned in frustration as her gym teacher yelled at her from below. Sarah glanced down as a drop of sweat trickled down the side of her face.
What kind of sadist made new students climb a rope on their first day?
She took a deep breath and pulled herself up the rest of the way. She sighed in relief and then slowly went hand over hand on the way down feeling the muscles in her arms and shoulders burn. Running, she could do. Rope climbs?
Ugh.
Give her a tree any day.
She jumped the last few feet down to the ground and immediately massaged her hands feeling her energy heal the aching flesh as Ms. Franks stared at her unhappily. “Not bad for your first day Miss Hudson. I expect you to cut that pathetic time in half though,” she said and then turned her back on her.
Sarah glared at the PE teacher’s back. She was a large woman of Viking decent and had the long blond ponytail and voluptuous physique to prove it.
“Ignore her. She was in the Marine Corps and she forgets she has to work with mere mortals sometimes. The key is to never make eye contact. She sees it as a threat and moves in to dominate. If you look at your feet you live to climb another day.”
Sarah smiled and turned to see a tall, handsome, black guy standing next to her. He was looking at curiously with a half-smile.
“Thanks for the tip. My name’s Sarah,” she said, pushing her hair behind her ear.
“I’m Carter. Come on, let’s get in line or we’ll have to run a mile after school.”
Sarah made it through the rest of class without any more trauma and felt like running towards the cafeteria. She pushed through the gray, scratched doors and scanned the faces surrounding her. She closed her eyes and took a breath as she felt for Zane.
Nothing
. She opened her eyes in disappointment and got in line.
“Sarah!”
Sarah smiled and turned around to see Lash walking towards her. He slipped in line with her and grabbed a tray ignoring the grumbles of the other students behind them.
“I’m dropping out. School sucks,” he said casually as he grabbed as much food as he could.
Sarah grinned and made a few choices. “I’m in complete agreement with you right now. My P.E. teacher just made me climb a rope in front of the whole class. The woman is pure evil with a pony tail.”
Lash looked back over his shoulder and grinned at her. “Say the word and I’ll take her out for you.”
Sarah laughed as they paid for their food and found an empty table. “Sweet, but very unwise. She’d massacre you. ”
Lash winced. “Insulting my manhood now? Speaking of which, where’s Thor?” Lash asked, glancing around the cafeteria.
Sarah frowned at him. “Does that make you Loki? Stop calling him that Lash. You know it bugs him.”
Lash grinned and shook his head. “The guy is tall and ripped, with blond highlights. If the shoe fits . . .”
Sarah took a bite of her taco and ignored the comment. She knew exactly how Zane got those highlights and she was not sharing.
“Hey guys.”
Sarah smiled and turned around and looked up to see Zane standing beside her. She hadn’t even felt him walk up to her. He usually sent out an energy hug before he even entered a room. He looked frazzled and stressed out. Not his usual confident, happy vibe.
“Hey, where’ve you been?” she asked, noticing he hadn’t even been through the lunch line yet.
He sat down and looked uneasily behind him. “This girl won’t leave me alone. I’m not kidding, she’s freaking me out. She said she wanted to eat lunch with me today, so I told her that I was going to eat with my girlfriend. She didn’t believe me. She said, no one moves to a new town and brings their girlfriend. She has a point, but still.”
Sarah giggled at Zane’s pained expression. Lash grinned and then looked over Zane’s shoulder.
“Looks like she’s found you bro. Heads up.”
Zane winced and grabbed Sarah’s hand, holding it on top of the table in plain sight of everyone as if her hand were a trophy.
“There you are Zane. I turned around to say hi to a friend and you were gone. I was worried about you,” she said with a sexy pout.
Sarah turned her head to see who was after her boyfriend and blinked in surprise. She was beautiful. The girl was tall, thin and had ultra-white blond hair with bright pink streaks on the side. She was wearing ripped jeans, black biker boots and a rock concert t-shirt with a scarf wrapped around her neck. She had large hazel eyes, a pert nose and pale pink lip gloss over thin non-smiling lips. She was staring at her and Zane’s hands on top of the table and she was
not
pleased about it.
“Hi Charlie. This is my
girlfriend
Sarah Hudson and our friend Lash Crossly. Guys, this is Charlie Prescott.”
Charlie lifted a brow at Sarah and turned to smile at Lash. “Hi Lash, nice to meet you.”
Lash glanced at Sarah and then smiled up at Charlie. “Any friend of Zane’s is a friend of mine,” he said with only a slightly mocking tone.
Sarah cleared her throat. “Hi Charlie, nice to meet you.”
Charlie turned and looked at Sarah. She smiled but it wasn’t a nice smile. This smile had claws. “Yeah, likewise. Mind if I join you?” she asked and then grabbed a chair and sat down before anyone said a word.
Sarah’s eyebrows rose and she exchanged a look with Zane.
Zane spoke into her mind,
Do you see what I mean? She’s unshakable. Do something. Help me out.
Sarah sighed and then squeezed Zane’s hand, sending a pulse of comfort through her hand and into him.
“I invited Zane over to my house tonight for dinner and a movie. He seemed to think you’d have a problem with that. You’re not jealous and controlling are you?” Charlie asked, looking at her with pity on her face.
Sarah laughed slightly and nodded her head. “Actually, I am. Besides, it’s a school night and I know Zane’s mom wouldn’t want him to be out late.”
Zane smiled weakly and sighed in relief. He let go of Sarah’s hand and grabbed the rest of her taco, inhaling it as if he were starving to death.
Charlie frowned and tilted her head as she stared Sarah down. “Kind of possessive, huh? No problem. Zane looked like he could use a friend. I didn’t mean anything by it. You and Lash are welcome to come too if you want,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking as if she had just thrown down a dare.
Sarah frowned at Charlie as she felt a strange energy emanating from her. Charlie didn’t feel warm like Zane and Gretchen. It was an eerie cold frantic, buzzing feeling. Whatever it was, she didn’t like it and she did
not
like Charlie.
Lash looked at the three people sitting at the table and shook his head. “No offense, but cat fights are not fun to watch. I’ll pass.”
“I think I’ll pass too,” Sarah said quietly.
“Come on Zane. We’ve got fourth period together. Let’s go,” Lash said, pushing back and standing up.
Zane immediately stood up to follow Lash, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but there. “Yeah, see ya after school Sarah. Bye Charlie.”
Sarah and Charlie watched them disappear out the door and then turned slowly to look at each other. Complete and total awkwardness.