Page 18 of Witch's Betrayal
7
DEJA
The sun was warm on my legs, just like that time in the Garden. The day my whole life literally crashed around me and I found my love and my truth.
But this time Juno laid next to me on a blanket, pouring over a spellbook while we picnicked in a local park. I looked at her with new eyes after my evening with Ash last night. How strange to think that my coven sister was also a distant daughter, not by blood but by magic.
After making love, Ash explained to me that the witch gene never diminished as it was passed on through the generations. And it was incredibly strong. Children born from one witch parent could still cast magic, though their innate abilities didn't come as early or easily as those with two witch parents.
Those with demon parents often excelled in the darker areas like shadow magic. Which meant our direct descendants received the best of both worlds.
The breeze blew through Juno's pale blonde hair as her large, aquamarine eyes moved over the page. She looked nothing like me in this body but she was beautiful. I wondered where her bloodline originated and how far it went back.
That thought made me wonder how many bloodlines had ended in the thousand years I was gone. My heart squeezed with an ache at the thought of all the witch families who didn't survive the dark ages, not to mention all the witch hunts in more recent centuries.
I laid a hand on my stomach. At some point, we'd have to repopulate with more witches. There were so few of us at this point. I grinned at the thought of nonstop baby making with my three men. Maybe I'd look into fertility spells and attempt twins or even triplets.
"Give me your hand, I need your help with this," Juno huffed, interrupting my thoughts.
"What are you trying to do?" I placed my hand in her outstretched fingers.
She didn't answer but continued muttering an incantation under her breath while gesturing with her right hand. And suddenly, I couldn't breathe.
Trying to suck in a breath, I felt like I was drowning. My lungs and nasal cavity burned and I coughed on what felt like water but nothing came out. The harder I fought for air, the more I felt I was inhaling liquid. And then just as quickly, the drowning sensation was gone.
"I'm sorry!" Juno shrieked. "It was a self-defense spell using my water magic. It wouldn't have worked if you were expecting it."
"What," I gasped. "...the fuck?"
Fresh air never tasted so sweet. Adrenaline surged through me, triggering my own defensive magic. It happened so fast, my body didn't realize it was safe again.
"Erik said I should practice more combative magic just in case I ever need it." Her brow furrowed and she sucked her lip between her teeth as she watched me struggling to catch a breath. "Shit, I had no idea it would work so well. I'm so sorry, Deja!"
"It's 'cause water is your element," I said, still coughing. "You have a much firmer grasp on water magic that someone not specializing in that element."
"I know, I'd just never had a chance to practice that spell before." Her lip wobbled. "I really didn't mean to hurt you. Shit, what if I couldn't stop it? I'm so fucking sorry, Deja."
"It's okay." I inhaled deeply, my airways finally clearing. "Now you know." I forced a smile. "And you know I'll get you back for that. You won't know where, when or how, but I will."
"Oh yeah, I totally deserve it." She wrapped me in a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. Just promise you won't bury me alive or anything?"
"No promises," I laughed wickedly and resisted the urge to rub at my throat. It would be raw for a while. I had to remember to make some soothing tea with lemon and honey when I got home.
"So how's the whole shadow lesson going with Seth?" she asked.
I sighed. Not exactly the subject I wanted to change to.
"It's going okay, I guess. I'll be happy when it's over with and he jets off to somewhere else again."
"That bad, huh? I've heard shadow work is difficult and he's a strict teacher. He doesn't take it easy on anybody."
"It's not even that really," I confessed, trying to decide how much I should tell her. "I just would have liked some choice in the decision."
"What do you mean?"
"My grandmother threw this big hissy fit and set me up to take lessons with him behind my back. She's treating me like a petulant teenager when I'm damn near thirty years old! I'm really close to just telling her off but I feel bad after all she's taught me already. Not to mention she's the only blood family I have left."
"I see where you're coming from," Juno said softly. "But for what it's worth, a search for a qualified shadow worker would have led you right back to Seth. There is really no one else around with his kind of abilities."
