Page 18 of Witch's Dawn
Those kisses and many pairs of hands felt almost familiar. Like they belonged to someone, orsomeonesI'd slept with many timesbefore.
But how was that possible? I went to college and partied a little but never got thatadventurous.
I may have been awkward with guys but I was no virgin, much to my parents' disappointment. Or adopted parents, I should say. It was still strange to think of them like that, although it made more sense since lastnight.
"Oh yeah, that's right," I said again to the empty room. "I'm awitch."
If my bedroom was impressed with that notion, it didn't tell meso.
Rising from bed, I padded barefoot across the cool floorboards to make my first cup of tea of the day. The shards of broken wine glass in the trash bin provided proof that last night was in fact, not one of my weirddreams.
Before I knew it, I found myself humming some random tune as I danced around my kitchen. Sunny mornings were so rare in San Francisco and my whole apartment glowed with sunlight at that moment. How could I not relish and enjoyit?
I opened the window for some fresh air, pausing to admire my small herb garden on thewindowsill.
"Ugh, goddamn squirrels," I cursed under my breath. My Thai basil plant had been uprooted again by the neighborhood rodents, probably emboldened by my neighbors who enjoyed feeding them. All that remained of my majestic plant was a sad, chewed-off stem sticking two inches out of thesoil.
"Poor little guy," I murmured, gently pinching the ragged stem between my thumb and forefinger. It was my favorite herb to cook with and I even grew the thing from a seed. In its full glory, it stood nearly two feet tall with dense clumps of dark green, fragrant leaves. Maybe it was stupid of me to feel loss for a plant but after carefully pruning and watering it since moving here, I couldn't help but growattached.
"Whoa,what!"
I yanked my hand back as if it had been burned. While thinking about my basil plant and touching it, a vibrating hum of energy coursed through my fingertips. It almost felt like a spark of electricity, although it felt pleasant and notpainful.
Upon closer inspection, my mouth fell open as I saw two tiny leaf buds forming on the stem, which now looked healed from the ragged squirrelbites.
My eyes darted back and forth from my fingers to the plant, trying to make sense of what just happened. And then a giggle bubbled up from mychest.
"Magic," Iwhispered.
Cautiously I reached out to touch the plant once more, picturing it again as full, lush, and fragrant with that distinct basil flavor in mymind.
Immediately the stem began growing taller and the two tiny leaf buds rolled out before my eyes into perfect, mature basilleaves.
My laughter was downright victorious and maybe even maniacal, but I didn't care. The stem continued to grow upwards and more leaves sprouted along its length. It was like watching a time-lapse video but this was real.Iwas doing this, rightnow.
I pulled my hand away after nearly a minute and just stared in amazement at the full, luscious plant that stood where the sad little stem once was. The leaves were larger and more vibrant than ever before andmmm, that fresh basil smell. I considered myself a pretty good herb gardener and yet none of my careful pruning, watering, and fertilizing before made this plant look as glorious as less than a minute ofmagic.
Who knows how long I just sat there, staring at my basil plant. A low rumble from my stomach knocked me out of my trance as I brought a hand to mybelly.
"I guess witches aren't immune to hunger," Isaid.
I ran back to my room and quickly threw on clean clothes and ran a brush through my hair before snatching my keys and practically dancing out of my apartment and down thestairwell.
Joy filled my chest as I stepped out onto the street. The smell of salty ocean and taco trucks hit my nose. Seagulls screeched overhead and tourists gazed at everything with open-mouthed gawks. Everything seemed to hum and vibrate with a new sense of energy now. I couldn't contain the grin on my face as I soaked it allin.
I felt like I had been blind all my life, and now I could trulysee.
11
DEJA
Sensory overload?Only the biggest understatement of theyear.
Walking around San Francisco with my new magic-colored glasses on seemed to heighten every smell, taste, and even my vision. Just the awareness of my newfound magical abilities seemed to flip a switch in my brain. Forget the five senses. I felt like I had at leastten.
I saw people's auras as I walked by them in every color and range of brightness imaginable. If I concentrated I could get a sense of their personalities and what they were feeling in that moment. Some were incredibly intense, others barelynoticeable.
The frustrated businessman talking sharply on his cellphone was surrounded by a deep red hue, with flecks of black and tightly coiled tension aroundhim.
