Trial by Fire (Covencraft Book 1) (7 page)

*

Paris released a sigh of relief and felt the tension he’d been pretending he wasn’t holding bleed out from his shoulders and neck.

Jade would come back with them to the Coven.

There was no guarantee she would stay, but it was a step in that direction; more than he had a day ago.

Of course, Jade coming to the Coven brought its own set of problems. Paris would be responsible for her magic. He couldn’t think of anyone that would have remotely enough power to train her other than himself. He’d never taken on an apprentice - he’d never had to. There’d always been more suitable witches about - witches who were born to teach, to nurture. Paris wasn’t sure how apt to the task he would be.

He supposed he had more than enough time to worry about that when they returned to the Coven. Now that Jade had called, now that she had agreed to return with them, he found he was finally getting sleepy. He had blamed his lack of desire to sleep on a need to get some work done but as soon as he hung up the phone, he could call it what it was. He’d been anxious she’d say no and he somehow ridiculously felt that as long as he stayed awake, waiting for her call, then she
would
call and it would all work out.

He powered down his computer and stumbled over to the couch where Callie slept. The apartment they’d leased had only come with a few items of furniture: a couch, an armchair, a coffee table. After a brief disagreement, he’d finally gotten Callie to accept the couch and he took the floor. While it wasn’t as bad as sleeping in the forest for his training sessions when he was younger, he was glad this was the last night he’d been spending stretched out on the threadbare, suspect carpet.

He closed his eyes and settled his nerves, reciting a quick invocation to keep his dreams at bay. At least for the night.

*

Jade started her day at the normal time, went into work, booked four weeks’ vacation, spoke quickly to her manager and conjured some story about a family emergency.

The fact that she’d never taken any time off for her ‘family’ before probably worked in her favor. She managed a few silent nods to the sympathetic head tilts she received from her boss, gave a few noncommittal answers to the gentle, if somewhat slightly invasive, questions and was back at her apartment by ten.

She cleaned the perishables out of her fridge, powered down and unplugged her appliances and packed a suitcase.

Jade laughed when she realized the majority of her packing consisted of a phone, laptop, e-reader and power supply cords for all of the above.

And, of course, her running shoes. Shoes always took up the worst amount of space when packing. Ugh. She changed into some more comfortable clothes, settling on blue jeans, a gaming t-shirt she’d gotten online with some prancing ponies and some tennis shoes.

Ready much sooner than she anticipated, she didn’t quite know what to do with her extra time. She stretched out on the couch figuring even if she didn’t sleep, she could rest her eyes for a bit.

She was asleep in about five minutes and woke up with a start, bleary eyed and confused when she heard knocking at her door. Her phone told her it was five minutes after three - she’d slept the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon away.

“Yeah,” she hollered, pushing herself off the couch and toward the door. She yanked it open at the same time as she used the other hand to check her ponytail, feeling half of it escaping out of its rubber band.

Paris stood in the doorway with a petite blonde woman who smiled brightly.

“Did we wake you?” Paris asked politely.

She half-grunted in reply, pulling the door open and then stepping back to let them in. She yanked at her hair and undid the ponytail and quickly re-secured it.

“You must be Callie,” Jade said with a nod toward the blonde as she finished pulling her hair through the knot.

“Yeah,” Callie said with a smile, coming forward with her hand stretched out for a handshake. Jade took it and grasped it firmly and then had a sudden thought that she probably had mascara or drool all over her face.

Well, it wasn’t like they wanted her for her looks, she thought dismissively. She was pleased with Callie’s firm shake.

“I’m really happy to meet you,” Callie said with a warm, friendly smile.

“Apologies for our tardiness,” Paris said and then looked at Callie pointedly.

“You said three! I was ready at three!” Callie defended herself.

“Generally, when one says three, one means a little before the actual time.” He gave her a slightly disapproving look.

“Then you should have said two-forty-five,” Callie replied easily.

They were comfortable with each other, Jade thought. This was clearly a discussion they’d had before. For a brief flash she envied them - their ease with one another. Jade fidgeted a bit not quite knowing what to say or do in their company.

“I guess you were close by,” Jade finally said, figuring they must have either made obscenely good time or been close enough to reach her apartment in five minutes.

“Just across the street,” Callie said brightly. At Jade’s sharp look, Paris cleared his throat awkwardly.

“That’s not creepy at all,” Jade replied sarcastically. “You guys really were watching me, huh?”

“Oh, it wasn’t like that,” Callie said quickly. “We just, wanted to… I mean, we didn’t know anything about you and we figured… Well-”

Callie appeared to finally realize there really wasn’t a graceful way to end that sentence and her voice trailed off. Instead of finishing her thought, she looked at Jade sheepishly and shrugged.

“Um, so are we going or what?” Jade asked, still feeling slightly awkward.

“Yes, we’ll be taking the train so we should head out. Are those your things?” Paris asked, gesturing toward the small suitcase and carry-on bag Jade had by the front door.

Jade nodded, slinging the carry-on strap over her shoulder and grabbing the suitcase. When Paris stepped forward to take one of the bags, she moved a bit back. “I got it.” She didn't like people touching her things. “I just need to stop for coffee and I’m good to go.”

Paris looked at his watch. “Oh, I don’t believe there is time for coffee.”

Jade gave him an even stare. “Oh, there is always time for coffee.”

“I could go for a coffee,” Callie chimed.

“I’ve made travel arrangements for us already,” Paris said. “And since one of us was late,” he eyed Callie meaningfully again, “I’m afraid we really need to get going. If there’s time once we reach the station, perhaps we can stop there.”

“No, absolutely not. I know the train depot and the coffee there is - blergh.” Jade shuddered. “We can hit the place around the corner. It’ll take, like, five minutes.”

“We really don’t have time,” Paris said simply and Callie sort of sighed, apparently resigning herself to a lost point.

Jade pushed past them toward the elevator. “I’m telling you, coffee break will take five minutes.”

Paris turned with a strange look on his face and Callie looked stunned. Jade stared back at them as she stabbed the button for the elevator. She got the impression that no one had ever really argued with Paris before.

“I said we don’t have time,” said Paris plainly. He wasn’t angry or rude. He seemed completely flabbergasted they were still having the conversation.

“We have tickets, don’t we? And those things hardly ever leave on time. Who cares if we’re late?”

“That is hardly the point,” Paris said frowning.

Callie’s face turned back and forth between them like a tennis match.

“It’s totally the point,” Jade replied, stepping into the elevator when it arrived. “Make the train late with magic or something.”

“That is completely not allowed.”

“Then what are the perks of being a witch?”

Paris looked stymied. “There are no perks.”

Jade gave a snort. “Well, you got screwed over then, English.”

Paris had nothing to say to that. It was like his brain had frozen at the irreverent tone of her argument.

The elevator gave a ‘ding’ and they were at the main lobby. Jade pulled her suitcase behind her, rolling it across the tiled floor with a
clack
at each groove.

Paris stepped up beside her. “I cannot believe you are arguing with me about this.”

She stopped and turned to face him. “Me neither, I could have had coffee by now.” At his blank look she rolled her eyes. “Just… Go without me, I’ll meet you there. Honestly.” She turned to Callie, “I can get you something if you want.”

Callie’s face lit up and she was about to speak when Paris interrupted her. “We’ll go as a group.” He strode out in front of the women and Jade took a second to look at Callie and smirked. She mouthed the word ‘coffee’ with a smile.

Callie looked like she was stifling a laugh as she fell alongside the other woman.

Twenty minutes later, Jade sipped her coffee, content and victorious. She eyed Paris, sitting across from her, stonily staring out the window of their train compartment.

“See, time to spare,” she said as the train lurched forward and started rolling away from the station.

He turned his gaze on her. “If you count running through the train station in a most undignified manner ‘time to spare.’”

Jade shrugged. “Yet here we are, on the train. With our coffee.” Jade turned to Callie, sitting next to her, staring at the lid of her cup like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Paris stood up as he took his phone out of his coat pocket.

“I’m going to call the Coven and let them know we will be on time.”

“Unless we run into some dire straits that set our pristine schedule back,” Jade said, barely hiding her grin. “Who knows, I may need to stop for a hamburger.”

Paris ignored her tone and shot a glare that had Callie averting her eyes. Jade smiled at him and batted her eyelashes. She got the feeling he tried not to slam the door shut as he left.

He was somewhat unsuccessful.

“He’s a little too easy to rile up,” Jade said, pulling her e-reader out of her carry on and flicking it on.

“I probably should tell you,” Callie said, fingering the rim of her cup, “that no one in the Coven talks to Paris like that.”

“Like what?” Jade asked, taking sip from her coffee.

Callie blinked twice in succession. “Like they don’t care if he gets angry.”

Jade shrugged. “I don’t care if he gets angry.”

“It’s just that he’s the leader and he is the most powerful witch in the Coven.”

Jade paused. “So when he kept saying ‘come to my coven’ he really meant
his
coven?”

Callie nodded. “Yep.”

“Uh.” Jade fumbled for something to say. “Isn’t this kind of errand a little beneath him then? Shouldn’t he be off doing… Coven running things?”

“Well, you’re very unique,” Callie said quickly. “This has never happened before.”

Welcome back, discomfort – did you miss me?

Jade loathed continually hearing how much of a freak she was. Even if it was said with the nicest expression possible, it still made her tense and edgy.

“Yeah. So you said.”

“He’s just usually afforded a little more respect,” Callie said, either not noticing Jade was awkward or trying to smooth it over. “He’s sort of separate from us, you know?”

“You seem comfortable enough around him. Are you two…?” Jade trailed off and raised one of her eyebrows.

Callie gave her a confused look for a moment and then laughed. “No, oh God, no. We grew up together, so I’m probably a little more relaxed around him than other coven members. But,” Callie said as she shook her head, blonde hair swinging around her face, “definitely no.”

“Oh.” Jade shrugged. “Well, it was only coffee. Frankly, I probably could have gone without it but the fact that he was telling me outright that I couldn’t go… It pissed me off. I don’t like being told what I can and cannot do.”

Callie’s smile was hidden behind her coffee cup. “Oh, you’re going to love the Coven,” she said sardonically.

“Why? Is everyone like that?”

Callie shook her head. “No, no, it’s just that, we have rules. Our magic comes with strings attached, I guess you could say.”

“What kind of strings?” Jade asked, eyes narrowing.

“It’ll be easier to explain once we get there.”

Jade made a noncommittal sound and watched Callie’s face carefully. She didn’t sense any malice - but the thought of going to a controlled environment, one where she didn’t set the rules and limits, made her uneasy. She reminded herself again that if she didn’t like it, she could leave. She wasn’t a child.

If she wanted out of a situation, she could go.

Like a mantra, she repeated the words to herself. She didn’t have to stay anywhere she didn’t want to. She wasn’t obligated to join their coven.

Even if she would be the only witch ever not to be part of a coven, she could do that. She could leave.