Mark of the Witch (Boston Witches) (6 page)

Once she was finished, Jilly surveyed her work and decided that it looked clean enough and ran up the stairs to get ready.

*

Walking into the bathroom, Jilly decided that she had enough time for a soak in the tub. So she grabbed her bath salts and turned on the water in the oversized jacuzzi tub. Sprinkling in the jasmine scented salts, she reaffirmed her decision to put in the big tub. It had been a hard choice to make; she hadn’t wanted to get rid of the old claw foot tub that had been in the house for many generations, but now she was glad she did it.

She grabbed a book and undressed before lowering herself into the steaming water. As she turned on the jets, she settled herself against the back of the tub and tied her hair up in a high knot. She leaned back and opened her book and read for thirty minutes, until she heard Caroline come in downstairs. She stood up, letting the water stream off her skin, and carefully stepped out of the tub. Grabbing the big fluffy white towel off the rack, she wrapped it around herself and let the water out of the tub. Looking in the mirror, she decided her hair looked ok in the bun, so she left it in. She applied minimal make-up just some mascara and a little lip gloss and walked out into her room to get dressed. Five minutes later, she was downstairs in the kitchen, dressed in jeans, a purple long sleeved T-shirt and Ugg boots.

“Do you need any help?” she called out as she walked in.

“Wow, Car, you look amazing.”

“I know, isn’t it great?” Caroline said as she spun around so Jilly could see the back. She had cut ten inches off her hair, and it now hung in a sleek, chin length stacked bob with chunky blonde highlights all through the top and sides.

“Shelly really outdid herself this time. I’m going to have to give that girl a raise,” Jilly said, in awe of Caroline’s transformation.

“I think I’ve got dinner covered; I’m just doing beef stew and salad, but I’d love some company while I cook if you want to sit and talk,” Caroline said while chopping potatoes.

Jilly grabbed a soda from the refrigerator and sat down at the counter. Both girls were unsure of where to start; talking had never really been their strong suit.

“Look, Jill, I know I haven’t been easy on you since Mom died. But I want to change that now. Life is short, and people aren’t always who we think they are. I’ve realized how important family is, and I want us to be close again like when we were kids.” There was a tear in her eye as Caroline spoke, and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand.

“That’s what I’ve always wanted, Car, but it’s been hard on me too with Mom gone. I feel like you turned your back on me when we both came into our power; you wanted nothing to do with it, and you resented that I wanted to be trained,” Jilly said with some force behind it. Caroline opened her mouth to speak, but Jilly raised a finger to stop her. “let me finish, Caroline, then you can have your say. It broke my heart when you walked away from what you are, from what we are as sisters. All of the women in our family have a gift, and we can do with it what we will. I have used mine to help people. I never asked for it, but I live with the hand I was dealt. I think what you did was dangerous; without training, your power can come out in ways that you can’t control. You’ve been lucky so far, but I think you’re being reckless. It’s like getting into a car and trying to operate it without knowing how to drive. You can kill people just as easily as if you hit them with a car.” Jilly was almost shouting when she finished speaking.

Caroline stood in stunned silence for a minute before replying. “Mom always said it was my choice. I chose not to cultivate what you call power, and I’ve never regretted it, Jilly. How dare you call me reckless. You know nothing about me anymore.”

“You’re right, Caroline, I don’t. You made damn sure of that when you left after Mom died. You left me, Caroline, you shut me out. We were barely nineteen, we were still kids practically, but you just walked away from me and Dad and never looked back.” Jilly was screaming at her sister now. She hadn’t realized how mad she was until that moment.

“I’m sorry I left, but I can’t change that; all I can do is fix what happens now. I never realized how my leaving would affect you or Dad; I was so lost in my own misery. Don’t you think I was hurting too, Jilly? She was my mom too. You’re right, we were kids, and I was still trying to figure out who I was. You always were so sure of yourself, so sure of what you are; I’ve always envied that,” Caroline said as she wiped away her tears.

Jilly walked around the counter and stood with her back against the refrigerator. “I was sure of myself because I accepted what I am. I’m a witch and so are you. The sooner you accept that, the happier you’ll be.”

“Give me some time, Jilly; I’m going through some stuff right now; I don’t need to throw in this witch business too. I just need to deal with one thing at a time. Can you give me that?”

Jilly walked over to her and hugged her. “Yeah, I can give you that. Take all the time you need. I’ll be here when you’re ready. But in the meantime, I’d like us to try being friends. I’ve missed you so much, Caroline.”

*

At six sharp, the bell rang, signaling that William was right on time. He was dressed in jeans and a green sweater; Jilly felt a little jolt when she saw him. “Hi, come on in,” she said as she moved aside so he could come in the house. “Dinner’s almost ready. Can I get you something to drink before we eat?”

“What have you got?” he asked.

“Well, Caroline bought some wine, and I think we may have something in the liquor cabinet; I’m not much of a drinker. I prefer soda,” Jilly said with a shy smile.

“I would kill for a Coke if you’ve got one.”

Jilly arched an eyebrow and led the way to the kitchen. “Do you want ice and a glass? Or just the can?”

“The can is fine.”

She grabbed a few cans out of the fridge and brought them over to the big chairs by the fireplace. “We can sit here until dinner is ready if that’s ok with you?”

William gestured towards the chair opposite him and sat down. “Have you been thinking about our recent conversation today?”

“Well, I’ve been busy today, but yes, I’ve had some thoughts about it.”

“Would you care to share them with me?” he asked as he set down his soda.

“I think that if Sabine really wanted to hurt me, she could have done it already. Also, you haven’t really told me why I should be afraid of her yet. You saw for yourself, I’m not exactly helpless.” She rubbed her palms together lightly with her eyebrows raised.

“I know I haven’t been as informative about Sabine and myself as you would like, but we’re very secretive, and I was waiting to see if I could really trust you before telling you everything.”

Caroline came down the stairs into the kitchen before Jilly could ask any more questions.

“Well, I guess we’ll talk more after dinner,” she said as she rose from her seat. “Caroline, this is my friend William. William, Caroline. Ok, now that we all know each other, let’s eat.”

William walked over and shook Caroline’s hand; he dropped it immediately as though he’d been burned. Jilly looked over at Caroline, who had a puzzled look on her face and was rubbing her hand.

“What was that?” she asked in a shaky voice.

“We’re not exactly sure of that yet, but apparently it’s not just me, its both of us,” Jilly said as she walked over to stand next to her sister.

“Jeez, it felt like my hand was on fire. I’ve never felt anything like it,” she said as she splashed cold water on her hand.

“That’s a bit different than what I feel. I feel like I’ve been electrocuted.” Caroline gave Jilly a weird look. “Like I said, it’s new to us too. We’re trying to figure it out; that’s why William came over tonight. I would invite you to talk with us after dinner, but I know how you feel about all of this right now. I don’t want to push you.”

“I appreciate that. I think for now I’ll pass on the after dinner chat; you can fill me in on whatever pertains to me in the morning. Why don’t you guys go and sit down, and I’ll serve dinner.”

The food was amazing. Both Jilly and William had second helpings of the hearty stew. Caroline was quiet, but Jilly assumed correctly that she was a little overwhelmed by everything that had happened to her in the last week.

Caroline quickly excused herself when everyone was finished eating. William insisted on helping Jilly clean up, and when they were done Jilly led him upstairs to her office. She gestured to the couch next to the fireplace, and they sat down to talk.

“What is it that you’d like to know first?” William asked as he settled himself into the cushions.

Jilly seated herself at the far end of the couch with her feet under her. “I guess I’d like to know what it is you can do. Also, what can Sabine do that makes her so dangerous?”

“Well, Sabine can control one’s mind; she can make you do what she wants, or she can make you see what she desires you to see. She’s very dangerous; she can make you feel pain that makes you wish you were dead without ever laying a finger on you. I’ve seen her take down an entire crowd of people without batting an eye. I wouldn’t underestimate her, Jilly. I don’t know what she wants with you, but I do know she’s not someone to trifle with. I cannot stress that enough. I’m sure she’s not here alone either; she’ll have one or two of my kind with her. We’re not all bad, but Sabine is very persuasive when she wants something from you.

“As for me, I can move things with my mind, and also I can do this.” He looked over at the fireplace, and fire sprang out of nowhere, bathing the room in a soft golden glow.

“Well, that was interesting,” Jilly said as she sat up straight, looking into the fire. “I see why you would want to keep that a secret. Do all of you have abilities like that?”

“Everyone like myself that I have met has had an ability that is above that of a normal human, but I cannot speak for those who I do not know. There are those who share Sabine’s vision of domination and power, but most I have met just want a quiet life, observing those around them.” William leaned forward toward Jilly and reached out for her hand. “I don’t mean to scare you with all of this, but I feel that you have a right to know what you are up against.”

“I’m not scared; I’m just trying to take all of it in. So, I had the dream because Sabine wanted me to see you together? Why would she show me that, and not when you were happy?”

“I’m not sure why Sabine does the things that she does. She had her reasons, I’m sure, but she’s always been very hard to read.”

They sat in silence for a while, staring into the fire. Finally, William stood up and walked to the door. “I think I should probably be going; I’ve maybe shared enough of my secrets tonight, hmm?” He said the last bit with a wink, so Jilly was certain he wasn’t really upset.

She got up as well and led him back downstairs to the door. As she was turning her head toward the door, he caught her chin in his hands, lifted her mouth up to his, and kissed her softly. She felt as though she was burning alive from the inside out, and her legs felt like rubber. She let herself melt into him, molding her body against the hard planes of his. When he finally pulled away, the surprise on her face was apparent.

William smiled and said, “The next time we meet, I’d like it to be for pleasure instead of business.” He caressed Jilly’s cheek lightly with his thumb and walked out the door.

After shutting the door, Jilly leaned back and let her body melt down to the floor like butter. She sat thinking for a few minutes, her head leaned back against the door. Was it really her he saw when he looked in her eyes, or was it Liza?

*

Caroline found Jilly sitting on the floor when she came down the stairs ten minutes later. “So,” she said, “how was your little chat with Mr. Handsome?”

“Informative,” Jilly said weakly as she pulled herself off the floor. They moved to the couch and sat on opposite ends, facing each other. “I guess I know what I’m up against with Sabine now. Plus William made his intentions toward me pretty clear as he was leaving.” Caroline arched an eyebrow in question. “He kissed me before he left,” Jilly said while trying to hide the grin that was spreading across her face.

“Did he? Well, I’m not surprised at all; the way he looked at you during dinner made it pretty clear he wasn’t interested in just being friends.”

“I guess we’ll see what happens there. I’m not really in that big of a rush; I don’t really know him yet.” Jilly stood up and stretched while yawning and said, “I’m beat. I’ll see you in the morning, Car.”

“Ok, sweet dreams, Jilly,” Caroline said with a smile.

Jilly headed upstairs and got into her pajamas before heading into the bathroom to wash her face. A few minutes later, she was settled in bed with a book in her lap. She made it two pages before her eyelids started drooping and she turned off the light and went to sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in an unfamiliar room.
Well, isn’t
this new and different
, she thought to herself as she got up from the bed she had been lying on. She looked down at herself, and she was dressed in an ornate silver gown. She went over to the mirror and found a blue eyed blonde looking back at her.

She looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was. There weren’t any clues, but she assumed it was in the past again.

A few minutes later William walked through the door. “My love, you look ravishing, as usual. Are you ready to leave? The carriage is waiting for us.”

Jilly nodded, not sure what to say.

William leaned in and kissed her quickly before taking her hand and leading her out of the room.

The house they walked through was amazing. Jilly tried not to gawk at everything as they made their way to the front. When they finally emerged, there was a black carriage waiting for them. The footman helped her inside, and William quickly followed her in sliding onto the seat with her.

“You are very quiet, my darling.”

He tipped her chin up and kissed her, his mouth hungry. He pressed kisses down her neck to her collar bone. Jilly gasped in surprise and pleasure. William took that as his cue to move further down her décolletage to her ample cleavage. He buried his face against her soft flesh, pulling her onto his lap. Jilly tried to extract herself from his clutches, but he held her too tightly.