Random piece - Witch Way Round? - part 7

Town was only five minutes walk from our house if you had long legs... so it always took me nearly ten to get there. Walking into town with Lee was like being four years old and walking with a grown up - I actually had to hold his hand most of the time just to remind him that I couldn't keep up. Probably drove him crazy, but he never really complained - just occasionally looked at me in that way that says "haven't your legs grown yet?"

Normally those extra five minutes aren't a problem. You can always be five minutes late anyway - people will wait that long without getting too impatient. With Lee you could be as late as you liked - if he would wait a minute, he'd wait an hour for you; if he wouldn't wait a minute for you... well, best be early. Lee would wait forever for me, thought not without getting worried; I always had a longer grace period than anyone else with him - though I'd never really worked out why. Guess it was because we'd been such good friends for such a long time... or maybe he just knew that I was always late, so didn't take offence to it.
But the fact that he'd sounded strange on the phone kept me practically jogging all the way there.
I really need to take up running I thought to myself as I slowed down enough to catch my breath back. Four minutes of jogging and I was already running out of breath. Not good at the best of times, so when you're pretty sure you may have to run to save your ass it's really bad.

I kept going over the conversation in my head. What was it that had made me nervous?
The main thing that had gotten me was his tone of voice. It was as if there was something he really wanted to say but wasn't doing. Not to mention he hadn't asked me to meet him after work in a long time... though in his defence that was probably more my fault than his.
Had I just been stressed over the psi balls and he'd heard the strain in my voice? That could have set him off. The abrupt 'bye' could have been because I'd sounded like I really wanted to get off the phone, couldn't it?

So why was my stomach still in turmoil?

Over the past few months I've learnt to trust my instincts.
Your instincts are basically your subconscious processing everything at super high speed and letting you know if something's wrong or not. Sometimes it's wrong - after all, it's working at top speed not in detail; but a lot of the time it's right.
Add to that the fact that magic enhances your senses, letting you practically smell danger, and your instincts are probably the best thing you have going for you.
Tanya and some of the others in Circle White Dawn liked to act all mystical; "I sense that we should not hold the circle tonight..." blah blah blah - they call it premonitions, but they aren't actually psychic. You ask what they see and they just say "Misfortune".
That, to me, is instinct. Premonition is where you full on know what's going to happen.
Lee and I had both had experiences of 'seeing' the future. Nothing big or impressive, but still - that's premonition. That's magic. Not sensing something is wrong.

Right now my senses weren't telling me anything. Doodly squat.
There didn't seem to be anything wrong at all in town. I couldn't even feel the normal amount of power flow through the crowd as normal.
A large majority of people have what we call magic in them. It's just that a lot of people prefer to ignore it and carry on with their lives as if the supernatural just doesn't exist. No, like it couldn't exist. Most people would actually freak out if they realised what they were capable of; them in their little every-day-lives being able to control the weather, or create a ball of light between their hands.
We leave them alone, let them be blissful in their ignorance. But you can still feel it. Little pin pricks of warmth or cool through out crowds where people are more or less 'gifted' (Tanya's words). Today either I wasn't paying enough attention with that extra 'sense' of mine, or there were just no 'special' people in a crowd of 500+ people.
I'd think it were fine, but my gut was clenching as if I were about to need a toilet - fast.
At least I can't feel any bad-guys around here. They'd stick out like sore thumbs
Then it hit me. What if the bad guys were here? What if they were damping my senses; or worse, what if they were damping the magic around this area?
I'd heard of spells that could be set up that totally deadened peoples powers. They could be specific or have a blanket effect on everyone who passed through the area it was dedicated to. In either case there was always a space limit to them. Like a bubble of 'safe' space that is created during treatise between witches. No one can cast, so theoretically everyone is safe.
It's also effective if you intend on stabbing, shooting or kidnapping a witch.

I didn't like any of these theories.
I don't like having part of me dampened down by someone else.

Paranoid? Me?... a little.

I'd slowed enough to totally catch my breath now, and was walking calmly through the busy street towards our favourite café.
Little Jim's is a tiny blue coffee shop that sells the best sandwiches for miles (unless you count Subway - but they're expensive). If you knew Jim, he'd sometimes shove some chips on in his own little fryer back in his kitchen. If not, he couldn't be bothered.
Jim's a nice guy - a little lazy, a little abrasive to new customers - but he's a laugh, and we've been coming here for years now. He knows us by name and age - a rarity for him he says... but I'm pretty sure he knows everyone in his shop's date of birth, national insurance number, bank details... okay, maybe that's an exaggeration.

Today there's a group of people that I've never seen before.
Two tall guys and a nicely shaped young woman who I was instantly jealous of. Her hair came to her waist in gentle curls of gold and silver, her dress was tailored over perfect breasts and a small waist, showing lovely long, tanned legs beneath. She was stood by the counter, smiling up at Jim. The two men, both rather well tanned themselves, and just as attractive as the woman, were in shirts and shorts - like every other man I'd seen today. A bit of sun, and it becomes a uniform, I swear!
One had dark brown hair to just below his ears, the blue of his shirt made me think he'd have blue eyes - there was something too coordinated about his appearance that made me assume he'd colour coordinate with his iris's. He reminded me of Kali in that way. The other man was about an inch or two shorter, with very short red hair. Not ginger, bright red - as if it had been died that colour. It matched the red lines in his black shorts, and contrasted a little too much with his green shirt for my liking.

No one else was paying these exotic strangers any notice - apart from Jim of course. I wondered if I would have noticed if it weren't for a familiar face among the two men, smiling and chatting away. Lee's black hair was gelled into place, but had this tendency to move like normal hair. Kind of like those kids you see whose hair just sticks up in random directions - only this was more tamed.
My instant thought was that they were his work mates... but I still proceeded with caution.
After the week I'd been having, anyone would approach strangers with caution. Heck, I was proud of myself for leaving the house without a bullet proof vest and hard hat.

There was a second where I was tempted to run. That little hot wave of fear swept over me, pushing me towards the door like a gale force wind. But I didn't move. I didn't run - because even if this were about to go wrong, I couldn't leave Lee.
And how much of an idiot would I look if I ran away from his work mates?
That thought alone plastered a smile on my face and got me walking confidently towards the group.

"Hey Lee!" I called in my indoor voice.

His head turned and a smile washed over him. It was as if the smile started from his hair line and moved downwards, pulling the smile out of him like a brush of happiness sweeping over his face.

"Lilly!" He stepped around the two men and hugged me.
I hugged back, and it felt good. We hadn't hugged in public since this whole thing started. I felt like lifting him up and spinning round - but I refrained. After all, the old lady sat at the table by my hip probably wouldn't have been happy about it.

It was a surprise to realise he was clamping down on his aura again. I frowned at him questioningly as we let go of each other. He flicked his eyes behind him to the strangers in answer.
Why did Lee think he had to hold back so much around these people? They didn't seem...
I focused for a second, and there it was. That little flick of something that you could find in someone no matter what if they were a trained witch. It took a lot of focus though, and I realised these people weren't trying to hide it.
There was a damping spell then.

The woman turned to me and smiled. It was the sort of smile that would take your breath away - especially if it had the full force behind it that I could tell normally went with it. There was still an echo of it there in her eyes.
Lee was looking at me in concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked, noticing my tension.

"Nothing." I said and smiled up at him. He frowned, and I could tell he was frowning at himself now - his eyes not focused on me - as if he'd made some faux pas.

He hesitated a second, then "I ordered your usual, Jim's being cheeky today though - says the chips'll take a while. I... figured that'd be okay?" He wasn't so sure any more.He did well though, not darting a look at the people behind him or searching my face too hard. It was as if he'd read in my mind "Play it cool..."
Either that or I was taking this all wrong - as usual - and he just wanted to be polite. Not nice to make assumptions about people's food.

"Yeah! Of course!" My voice was bright, and a little too close to fake to escape his notice.
Or so I thought.
He smiled and turned back to the group who were now finished ordering.

"Shall we take that booth at the back? It's got the comfiest seats." Lee grinned, gesturing to the booth farthest from everyone else, with a good view of the door. I was glad he'd picked that one.

"Lead the way." The brunette man had a nice voice. Smooth, warm and persuasive. He gestured for Lee and I to go first.
This was both blessing and curse. We would get to choose the seats that faced the door so I could take up my paranoid position looking at the door. However, it meant walking with them at our back. I just didn't feel up to trusting these people just yet - but I also didn't want to make things awkward for Lee, who was already stepping forwards happily, my hand in his.
We'd fallen back into the habit of staying in contact because we couldn't feel each other again.

I tried not to hesitate, and fell into step slightly behind Lee so that we fit down the aisle easier without bumping peoples tables or chairs. The three of them fell into step behind me, the woman closest and the brunette bringing up the rear. I got the feeling she took charge most of the time; but maybe that was just Tanya's influence. She seemed to think women were supposed to lead and men supposed to follow - maybe it was starting to rub off on me; or maybe I just clumped women together that made me uncomfortable.
None of them had done anything yet that should make me uncomfortable.
If my time with Circle White Dawn had been any different I might have brushed away the feeling.
But like I say, I trust my instincts.

We sat at the booth, Lee scooting across the bench seat so that I was by the aisle. Our backs to the far walls, the door in my peripheral vision, I felt a little safer as we watched the three of them slide gracefully behind their side of the table.
Smiles all around. But it was time to break this.

"So, Lee... who are your friends?" I asked casually, resting an arm on the table and turning slightly so my question was directed at him while I kept everything in sight.

There was a slight tension in his hand, but he didn't seem as shocked as I would have expected. I was expecting shock, surprise, disbelief - or a simple 'These are my mates from A&E'. Instead his hand tightened in my below the table and he shrugged languorously, relaxing back into the seat.

"They said they were friends of yours. I agreed to invite you here for a nice surprise lunch with them." His voice was just as casual as mine had been, though there was an edge of distaste to it.

Part of me wanted to scream at him "And you agreed?!" but we'd have that discussion later.
I kept my face pleasantly surprised.
Oh, I hadn't even thought they were anything other than your friends...honest...
It explained why he'd clamped down on his aura though. He'd sensed they were witches and assumed they were from my circle. Since we'd agreed not to reveal anything to my circle yet he'd automatically hidden his power deep inside.
I squeezed his hand.
"Really?" I said out loud "How interesting."

I looked across the table waiting for an explanation.
Their faces betrayed their surprise. Clearly they'd been expecting more confusion.  A round of "You mean they aren't your friends?" They weren't used to people telling the truth, especially if they thought they'd made a mistake. Most people will try and push the blame off on someone else instead of risk looking stupid.
I was rather proud of Lee for making the connection soon enough to not betray that he hadn't known all along. He wasn't normally a good actor, but he'd taken his cue from me.
We hadn't done this since we were kids. We'd be doing something we shouldn't and one of us would realise we were about to be caught. There had never been those moments of "Oh come on, you were doing it a minute ago" or "Why'd you stop?" - we'd always just stopped with the other person and started the innocent act.
Apparently we hadn't lost the knack of reading each other.

"My name is Hannah" The woman said with a smile when she realised that Lee wasn't going to introduce them "This is Alex" she gestured to the red haired man to her right "And this is Cairn" she placed her hand on the brunette man's forearm where it rested on the table. The gesture gave me the impression of intimacy. Both men nodded as greeting when their names were made known.  I smiled at each in turn. The way they sat made me realise that though Hannah was their spokesperson for today, she wasn't in charge. They were all of equal rank. Maybe they thought a girl should do the talking to keep us calm and feeling safe.

Lee nodded without realising it, confirming to me at least that these were the names they had given him. He didn't like being lied to; neither did I. Unfortunately I expected it, he didn't.
Working at a hospital where everyone has to tell the truth in order to be treated made you expect honesty more than working with witches who hide things constantly and work in untruths more often than truths.

Hannah glanced at Lee, uncertain of what she should and shouldn't say in front of him.
I realised that they hadn't told Lee what they were. He knew, but they weren't aware of it.
She hesitated then placed her hands together in her lap and looked at me.
"We just want to talk."

I was getting tired of them holding back. Maybe if I showed my hand they'd do the same.

"Hence the Treatise Enchantment. Though most treatise aren't conducted through the leverage of a hostage." My voice was steady, but a little firmer than it had been. I felt my eyes narrow, the threat hanging there. If they wanted a peaceful talk they had broken the universal rule of bringing someone they thought was leverage into the equation.
Then again, you weren't supposed to start peace talks without letting the other people know that's what you're doing.
The three of them glanced at each other, and I felt Lee grip my hand slightly tighter. I wasn't sure whether he'd just worked out what was going on, or whether he was irritated at being called a hostage.
We both felt the prickle of their energy though, and I was pretty sure they felt the first tingling of our fear.

We're in trouble...

--------------------------------------------------- Part 8

Random piece - Witch Way Round? - part 6

My to-do list went like this:

1. Learn more protection spells
2. Practice Psi-Balls
3. Learn and practice defence spells
4. Get Lee to teach me more healing stuff
5. Check on Bree
6. Research Shape-Shifter Venom
7. Research Demon Anatomy
8. Hell, research HUMAN anatomy for that matter...

So when I realised that it was nearly that time of the month where I have to go and explain to the government where I've applied for work and why I haven't been accepted anywhere, I kind of felt like ramming my head repeatedly into a wall.

Sometimes, life is too complicated.

Kali and Bree both worked for the Circle... I should really ask if there's something I can do that will keep me out of trouble and keep some money coming in. Lord knows Lee has been supporting my ass for too long since my last job went down in flames.

Since Lee had promised to teach me healing, and we were both going to see Bree later, I figured some research on the human anatomy should come first.

My theory was that Lee knew where everything in the body actually was - so he'd been able to navigate it easier than I had. He also know what everything was and what it was supposed to do.

Now, maybe this is just common sense speaking - but these seem to be things that are helpful to know when you're trying to heal people. 

So, for the first time since we moved in together, I decided to ransack Lee's shelves for anatomy books.

I only found three - but one of them was big and had lots of really good pictures in. Gray's something or other I think it was. I wasn't really concentrating on names, I just wanted to know the layout. Like looking through a map - you try and remember the places in conjunction to each other, rather than just their names. I could care what the things names were, all I wanted to know was where they were, what they looked like, and what they did. 

Surprisingly, that made things easier. 

Things break down into systems in the body. Circulatory system, digestive system... they all have a purpose and (thank god) a logic to them.

So the bits at the top of the digestive system do one thing, while the things at the bottom do another - and all it takes is remember what order the process goes in and you're set on both place and role; the only thing that was difficult was remembering what things looked like... and I figured a process of elimination would work for now on that.

Circulatory system was similar in logic - what things did and how; it was simple.

The only things that were giving me grief were the liver and kidneys. 

They were too complicated to get my head around. 

Both cleaned the blood... but I just didn't understand how - or how they were different. That's what you get for skim reading though I suppose.

It was half one when I finally closed my stolen books in a huff and massaged my temples. 

When did biology get so complicated?

The only cure for doing too much reading and thinking is something physical. The only thing that was really physical on my ever expanding to-do list (apart from the usual "Take up running", "Learn Aikido", "Join the Gym", "Go swimming" that never really got done) was spell practice.

My favourite spell has always been the psi-ball. You can make it look pretty, you can use it to give power, I've even seen it used to heal people in the past - and it's also one of the most common and effective weapons witches ever use. Since seeing Bree blast a shape-shifter at least seven foot in the air with one I'd been planing on practising harder.

When provoked, my powers would make spells up out of thin air; it grabs and magic that I've never even heard of and winds it into spells that would probably blow the socks off any creature... but it was unreliable. If I was panicking even slightly it would just leave me. Meditation wouldn't help on that front - only being constantly prepared for battle.

One of the things that makes me panic is thinking that I don't know how to protect myself. The theory I've come up with is this: Practice till I'm confident that what I know will save my ass in a fight - then I wont panic and so the uber-power wont run and hide.

Fear gives normal people adrenalin. Some witches get a power rush instead. It's completely meta-physical, there's no chemical change in their bodies what so ever. Occasionally I get that power rush instead. 

It's only happened before when someone I care about is in danger; but I think there's a way to make it happen instead of the adrenalin. The only thing is, I need a really powerful psi-ball first.

So: Psi-ball practice it is.

First things first, when practising heavy-duty magic (which this is) you need to get prepared. 

I'm not talking protection circle or anything like that. That's only for, like, ritual magic, or stuff that could get you hurt. No, for this kind of practice the preparation you need comes in the form of chocolate.

Snacks are imperative after performing big spells. They help you recover, and the sugar rush can also keep away any 'blow-back' energy. For example, if you make a powerful psi-ball and then you discharge it, some of that energy can linger around. If you encounter it in a weakened state it can flow back into you and act like an electric shock. Apparently there's been cases of it causing heart attacks. So you keep the snacks at hand for the instant boost of sugary goodness - just to stop any nastiness occurring. 

Kali and Bree always keep chocolate cake and crisps close by when working magic; especially for Circles.

My snack of choice is the bourbon biscuit.

Chocolatey, yet biscuity. 

I also like to have a bottle of juice laying around - both for in between spells and for during the biscuit binge. 

I fetched my trusty sip-and-seal 'sports' bottle and filled it with orange squash. Maybe one day I'd use it for actual sports... but I doubted it. Grabbing the bourbons out of the cupboard I headed back to the living room. 

If you move the coffee table to the wall there's enough space to lay down on our floor. I wasn't intending on lying down - but if I fell over, I didn't want to hit the table. It would hurt, and I was still nicely funky coloured from my last round of injuries; thank you very much. So after depositing my biscuits and books on the table, I unceremoniously shoved it towards the far wall; then dragged the cushions off both chairs and the sofa and scattered them in a heap in the centre of the room.

I brought my bottle along with me and nestled it between some cushions by my side as I settled down into a meditative position. 

You don't have to clear your mind to make a psi-ball, but it helps. Being relaxed is the best way to get magic to flow; which is why battle magic is so hard to master.

After a few breaths I cupped my hands together and focused on pouring my energy into my hands. At the same time, I constructed a shielding spell around my hands to keep the energy in. It was like using the energy to create a forcefield around itself; one that would feed the energy and keep it in one place.

According to Marcus, once you have enough control you don't need the shielding spell; you can simply keep your energy in that ball through force of will. I'm not that controlled yet. 

Aren't you? ... a little voice in my head asks.

After the hours practice with Lee at clamping down our energies I'd gained a larger degree of control than anyone had ever thought I'd manage. Maybe I wasn't as out of control as everyone thought..?

Taking a deep breath, I focused on the energy swirling in my hands, and dropped the shielding spell.

Instantly I felt the energy dissipating. 

Before, I would notice it dissipating and then it would just stop staying where I put it. It would leak out until there was nothing left.

But maybe the trick was not to focus on the leaking. Maybe it was like the 'see me not' spell, where focusing on something else made it easier. 

I closed my eyes and thought about Bree's ball of crackling power that she had summoned. 

Focus.

The word rippled through my mind as I focused on my hands. They were drifting further apart. 

I glanced down and saw not emptiness as I expected, but a growing orb of blue lightning. It looked just like the one Bree had made. 

My psi-balls had never really had much colour or shape or light to them. They were more like that shimmer that you get in air when it's really hot - a slight rippling. Not like this. This was a weapon if ever I saw one. 

The shock of it was making me loose control. It was growing rapidly.

Focus.

The cool voice in my mind soothed me and I unfocused my gaze, pulling the energy back inwards. The ball shrank, but didn't seem to diminish in power. The colour intensified, turning a bright blue; white surges of power seemed to crackle around it like barbed wire and silver razors. It looked almost physical.

Another deep breath and I thought about Kali's pink balls of light. She had been able to summon psi-balls that glowed with light and could be left and picked up. They were like lanterns. 

She had told me that if she surrounded someone with them, they formed a strong protection circle.

I focused on how they had felt to touch, closing my eyes as I tried to recreate that feeling. Safe, warm, light.
When I opened my eyes again, a round purple ball of light hovered between my hands. 

It was almost too easy now. Psi-balls normally drained my energy and were frustrating. What had changed so dramatically in the past day and a half that was allowing me to create such near-perfect balls without a struggle?

Surely making up with Lee hadn't made this big a difference...

Confidence... the little voice whispered.

I pushed it aside.

Purple has always been my protection colour. Everyone uses colour for symbolism, but not everyone's is the same. I'm so very different to most people that they get confused. Purple for protection, Green for summoning, Yellow for celebratory magic, Red for healing...  maybe I was just wired up wrong?

As it was, the psi-ball felt firm and good; protective. I wondered if I could put it down with out it winking out of existence like Kali's. 

Most psi-balls are thrown, or shoved into people/objects/animals (in that order in my experience) so you don't have to worry about them after a few seconds. You keep them formed in your mind till they've done their job.

Ones that you leave on the ground have to be kept alive in your mind. You have to stay in control of them until you want to dispel them. It's harder.

Putting the orb down was slightly nerve racking, but the calm voice that I like to think of as my voice of reason was there, keeping me chilled out enough to not loose focus. The ball glowed slightly brighter as I move my hands away and sit back. 

It didn't grow dim, or start to fade... or anything else bad (like explode).

Now I just had to know how far I could push this new found control. 

Yes, I admit, surrounding myself with a bunch of stuff that could potentially explode probably wasn't my best idea's ever... but then, I don't have many good ideas; nor do I have many that go terribly wrong most of the time. So it was worth the risk.

After half an hour, I had six purple orbs laid out in a circle around me. 

The strain of keeping them all glowing bright and powerful was starting to give me a headache - but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Some how the stress was just... not there. It was as if things were just too simple to stress about; only the concentration was getting to me. I didn't even feel that drained. 

My phone started to ring, breaking my concentration slightly.

The orbs began to wobble and go dim.

"Shit." I cursed my phone as I dug it out of my pocket. 

Lee's picture smiled up at me and I tried to split my focus between the orbs and him.

"Hello?" I answered, the strain not showing too badly through my voice

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah... you?" Three of the balls were flickering darker. Best case scenario: they'd just sputter out and disappear. Worst case scenario? I didn't want to know.

"I'm good. Finished a little early. Do you fancy meeting in town before heading to Bree's? We could grab lunch?" There was something odd in his voice, but I was too focused on the damn orbs to work out what it was.

"Sure. You sure you're okay?" One of the orbs was starting to vibrate. Not good.

"Yeah, yeah - see you in fifteen minutes?" Now I knew something was going on. He was acting too odd. But I had to get off the phone and deal with the orbs. Two more were starting to shake.

"Okay, see you soon." I agreed, trying to focus on the balls

"Bye." -click-

I'd have taken more time to be offended at him hanging up so abruptly on me, but hey - I could be about to blow up. Priorities!

I took a deep breath and concentrated on the orbs. Just them, nothing else. 

If I concentrated hard enough I could almost touch them with my mind.

As soon as I thought of it, the six balls stopped shaking.

I bet I could move them round...

The six of them shifted left, slowly starting to rotate around me. 

"Okay, cool - but creepy." I said, opening my eyes and willing them to stop.

The first ball I touched still felt warm and soothing, and I was loath to disband it; but needs must. 

One by one the purple orbs of light winked out of existence in my hands, until I was left alone in the room with my cushions. 

It felt colder, and somehow sadder, without them. 

I reached automatically for my biscuits, munching through at least four before realising I didn't really need them. I felt fine. 

Something was definitely up if I was able to play with that many psi-balls without passing out.

What the hell was going on today?

I glanced at my phone and swore again. 

There were only 7 minutes left to get to town and meet Lee; only 7 minutes to get there and find out what the hell was up with him.

My phone was shoved into my pocket, my bottle of juice slung in my favourite book-bag along with a few 'essentials' (like notebooks, pens, pencils, salt, books, purse) and, key in hand, I was out the door. 

When was the last time Lee finished work early?

Well, when was the last time he finished early and told you about it? 

Still, something didn't feel right. 

I hoped it wasn't anything bad. I didn't know if I could bare any more bad this week; even if my control did seem to have gained new bounds. 

Just please, Goddess, let him be okay...


-------------------------------------------------------------- Part 7

Random piece - Witch Way Round? - part 5

I stretched in bed, keeping my eyes firmly closed against the sun shining through my thin curtains.

I held myself up slightly to look across at my bedside clock. It was either nearly 6am, or half past 11. I couldn't remember which hand was which. Never a good sign.

Why on earth would I wake up before 6am?

Must be half eleven then. I sighed and let myself fall back into bed, turning face down in a soft pillow where I was more comfy. It would be so easy to just fall back asleep here. Warm, comfortable, safe...

A groan escaped my sleepy mouth and I wiggled further under the duvet in protest as I realised I had a full house of protection spells to check. Soon. A whine of protest vibrated in my throat as I threw myself back onto my back, pulling the quilt off to try and give myself some motive to get up and dressed.

I hate mornings. No, strike that - mornings are fine. What I hate is getting up.

You've spent hours getting comfy, working the bed up to the perfect body temperature, found the exact right position to stop the bruises and achy parts from hurting; then you have to get up and start the day again. It's no fun. Laying in the comfy spot till you need too pee too badly to hold it any longer. That's fun. Getting up, coming back and slipping straight back into the comfort zone. That's fun too.

Getting up and forcing your stiffening muscles to get on with the day again. That's no fun.

Despite the healing work Lee had done for me yesterday my back still ached. It was that healing ache that you get though - just towards the end of your bruises. Not the 'boy this is going to look a right mess' kind of ache you get before they come out.

I caught sight of my torso as I stripped off to go for my shower. My skin was a pale mess of light green. I looked like some kind of reptilian alien life form. It wasn't pretty - but I should have been an interesting deep brown all over, with patches of mottled green seeping from the dark smudges. It was definitely an improvement. Not that it mattered, since no one ever sees my torso unless I'm wearing my backless ball gown (which is practically never) or an old top to do the cleaning in.

A few months back it had bothered me that no one seemed interested in my body, but since joining circle whack-jobs-'r'-us it hadn't seemed like a big deal any more. I'd lost the urge to dress in anything other than decent trainers, jeans or jogging bottoms, and a t-shirt (and a bra I could run in too). I was tempted to take up running as a hobby - a little practice would go a long way to keeping you alive when there really were people out to get you.

I should really check the spells before showering, but I didn't particularly care right now. I needed a shower. I needed hot water to wash away the sleep and the soreness - not to mention the smell. Let the monsters come; I was too tired to give a rats ass. I would be no good at repairing defences until I felt more human anyway.

Logic. It's normally just an excuse to do what you wanted in the first place. That's what reasoning was invented for.

Think about it - if no one had ever wanted to do something selfish or arguably bad, we'd never have needed powers of persuasion. You wouldn't have to reason why you were doing something, it would be obvious to everyone.

After a good half hour in the pounding hot water, and a thorough scrub, I was ready to face the world.

My shoulders didn't ache half as much any more. The heat had finished off the work Lee had started, easing all of the kinks out of the battered muscles.

Downstairs, the kitchen was still a bit of a mess.

We had decided on having a roast dinner after all, and after cooking for two hours, eating for half an hour and laughing for a few more, we just hadn't felt like cleaning up.

The kitchen was piled up with pots and pans, gravy covered plates still sat on the side. My task for the day. Fun.

I flicked the 'on' switch of the kettle down and left it to boil as I finished my rounds downstairs. 

I'd taken the sensible route and checked upstairs before coming down to the mess. Nothing. Not even decay since yesterday.

The most complicated spell was on our front door, and I was in the middle of poking it with my mind when the stairs creaked. 

We don't live in a creaky house; it's nice and new. Our stairs only creak if you step on the fourth step just to the left... 

I had spun around before my mind was completely out of the spell, and I felt it react to my fear. It moved forward and around me, mixing in with my own defensive spells before my eyes even adjusted to the threat.

They were starting to clear as I raised my hands - the spells fully formed and ready to fly.

"Jeeze Lilly - what the hell are you doing up th-" Lee stopped mid sentence and stared at me.

The spells recognised him before I did, and started to hesitate. 

I'd got him to take these spells apart and put them back together yesterday, they were as much his as they were mine now, and they didn't want to hurt him.

My vision cleared fully, allowing me the view of a half dressed Leigh-John stood half way up the stairs, mouth hanging open. He was just frozen there - like a deer in headlights.

I hadn't even checked to see if he was in the house. 

How asleep had I been this morning to not check the house for presences??

My hands lowered, along with the spells. Their energy sank back into nothingness and I took a second to centre myself.

In that second Lee was down the stairs and stood less than a foot away from me.

"What the hell was that?!" he almost yelled.

I flinched. 

"You surprised me..."

"Surprised you?! You were nearly floating Lilly!" there was an edge of fear in his voice now. "Your hair was blowing around you for crying out loud! Your eyes were white... pure white!"

Now I was blushing.

"My magic reacted..." I mumbled. 

Part of me was actually wondering why his hadn't flared in reaction to the threat.

"Your magic reacted" He gripped my arms - though I'm not sure whether it was to force me to look him in the eye or to keep his balance. He didn't seem to be taking this well. "To what!?"

I shifted uncomfortably again, unable to meet his eyes.

This was the reaction I'd been afraid of all along. The reaction Circle White Dawn had first had to me. Fear. 

They'd told me it was just because I was untrained... but Lee wasn't either - so why hadn't his powers reacted like mine always did?

"To you... to my fear... I don't know." I moved away, trying not to cry.

See - getting up is always a bad idea.

I stood very still with my back to him, arms clutching my sides as if hugging myself, and he didn't move. 

For a moment we just stood there. Neither of us sure what to do or say.

Then he stepped forwards and placed a hand on the door. 

I felt him reform the protection spell there. I must have still been connected to it in some way though - because it pulled on me in an aching way; snapping off as he placed the last seal. 

His hand lingered on the door a moment, and he sighed in that defeated way that says "I'm going to regret this" or maybe just "I'm in way over my head now..."

The sigh was what made me turn to him. 

His head was resting against the wood of the door, and he looked more tired than I felt. 

Lets face it, it had been a long couple of days. And the poor sod had work today. 

"I'm sorry." I said, touching his arm. He didn't pull away or flinch. "Cup of tea? The kettle's just boiled..."

He rolled his head against the wood so that he was facing me. There was something I couldn't quite read in his eyes - some question I couldn't quite understand. I tried for a smile, and he closed his eyes, sighing again. His biceps tensed under my hand, and he pushed smoothly away from the door.
"Sounds good."


I moved towards the kitchen and listened to him follow, padding behind me on bare feet.
There were two cups on the draining board, but I reached in the cupboard and brought out the biggest ones we owned. One was blue with star signs on, the other green and red with a dragon curled around it. 
Lee lifted himself onto the kitchen counter behind me, and rubbed his arm in a sleepy gesture. 
As I turned to him with a steaming mug of tea his right hand was resting on his left shoulder, his chin resting on his wrist and forearm, his eyes far away - lost in thought.
He didn't even seem to wake from his thoughts as his left hand took the mug and cradled it against his legs, the rest of his body never moving.


Normally I would sit opposite him and wait for him to say something, but I just wasn't awake enough to do that today. My own mug held against my chest, I wedged myself between his legs and rested my head against his arm where it crossed his chest. Screw boundaries. Screw patience. I was tired, and more than that, I was tired of tiptoeing around him.
I'd been tiptoeing around him for months because of Circle White Dawn. Enough was enough.
He lifted his arm over my head and rested his cheek on my head, hand moving to my shoulder instead of his. The rest of him stayed immobile.
"What would that spell have done to me?" He asked, quietly, as if scared to hear the answer. 


I didn't honestly know. The spells had almost taken on a life of their own - something they didn't do very often any more. My defensive magic was as instinctual as his healing magic. 
"I'm not sure..." I replied hesitantly, "I wasn't particularly thinking. It was just a reaction... but there was something incendiary in there. Fire's one of the only thing that works against anything, so my auto-cast normally includes it..."


I wanted to shake my head, but at the same time I didn't want to dislodge Lee. I settled for taking a sip of the hot tea. It didn't burn my tongue much - even though I hadn't thought to cool it. 


"Incendiary..." he replied, still not moving.


I slipped my spare hand round his waist. 
"It was part of the door spell too... I was submerged in it when I heard you on the stairs. It kinda reacted with me."


He stilled further. I think he was holding his breath.
We both knew what that spell was for. Extinguishing life. It wasn't just a ward - or a protective buffer. It was a killing spell - meant for demons and evil - and it had been directed at him. 
The muscles in his whole body tightened with the thought, and he swallowed. I fought the urge to do the same.
I had just nearly killed my best friend. 
Maybe Circle White Dawn was right to treat me as a loose cannon. Pointed in the wrong direction I could do some terrible things.


Yet still they didn't understand why I wanted to be disarmed. 
I had begged Tanya to bind my powers before they destroyed something, or someone - but she had refused. They wanted to teach me to use them. Or so they said. Maybe they just wanted to aim me at their opponents and set me off...


I blinked the thought away.


"I'll be more careful. I promise." I whispered, blinking more than thoughts away. 
He must have believed me because he hugged me close and placed a kiss on my forehead. 


"Remind me never to sneak up on you!" he grinned and took a large gulp of tea.


My laugh was shaky, but at least I had an idea of why his magic reacted so much differently to mine.
Lee has always had more power than me - you can just feel it. Not only that, he picks things up faster. Just look at the warding spells on the house; it had taken him mere hours to learn what had taken me days. I just hadn't understood why his power hadn't flared to protect him as soon as I became a threat.  
But it was like yesterday, when I tried to heal Bree. His instincts lead to healing... mine, apparently, lead to destruction...
Not the most pleasant thought to start your day on.


"What are you doing up so early anyway?" He asked again, running a hand through his short hair in a languid gesture that suggested he'd much rather be in bed than sat drinking tea in the kitchen.


"Woke up..." I shrugged, leaning back into his leg "I thought it was half 11..." I admitted, going a little red.


He laughed properly this time, shaking his head "Trust you!"
I retracted my arm from round his waist and used it to push him playfully in the chest.


"What time have you got work anyway, smelly?" 


"Nine." He answered, taking a surreptitious sniff of his underarm as he stretched in a yawn and making a face - 'yuck'.


"Nine Was?" I asked, attempting a German accent.


He rolled his eyes and finished his gigantic mug of tea in a single, long, gulping swig. Patting my back to shoo me out of the way, he slid off the unit and round me to balance the dragon mug on the precarious pile of pots still waiting to be cleaned. 
He'd already called shotgun on not washing up. House rules meant that if you added to the washing up after shotgun had been called it was tough - you were stuck with the washing till the pile was gone. I hated that rule... but I couldn't bitch about it since I'd been the one who came up with it one night after managing to call shotgun before taking my plate through.
When I added my plate Lee said that it was open for recalling; so I'd made the rule of no-recall.
Sometimes it's a pain... but in all honesty I'd never win the game if we didn't have it.


I sighed at his retreating back and took another mouthful of tea. 
Lee had started to turn me to the way of the tea... it is apparently the magical cure-all that helps with any and all situations. I'd never believed him, but I was starting to enjoy the milky warmth it afforded. 
I always felt so... British drinking it. But oh well.


The pipes gave a rattle, and I heard the shower start up overhead. An evil smile played over my lips as I thought Time to do the dishes then!




---


I didn't do the dishes till Lee was out of the shower and getting ready for work.
We weren't accustomed to being in each others way in the morning - mostly since by the time I was awake he'd have been at work for a few hours already. It made a nice change though, to be elbow deep in bubbly water while he made a sandwich to take to work with him, along with a pint glass of orange squash and toast and cereal. 
Luckily the women at the hospital liked feeding him, otherwise I doubt we'd be able to afford to feed him enough now that I was out of work. His salary paid the bills fine, and my now tiny income paid for the food each week. Enough for a family of three... so nearly enough for the two of us. 


For a while I hadn't understood why Lee got so hungry at work. But after a few minutes attempting to heal Bree and the exhaustion that had accompanied it, I was surprised he didn't need five times more!
He wasn't just running all over the hospital being bossed around, he was expending his life force on patients who weren't responding to treatment up to six or seven times a day. 


"Hey Lee," he was slicing up all manner of salad vegetables for his sandwich.


"Mm hmm?" apparently it takes concentration


"Do you think you could teach me healing sometime?" I tried to make it offhand and disinterested, but I doubt he missed the longing in my voice.


"Sure."


Wow, early morning conversations were so deep and interesting in this house. 
I turned and realised there was a large chunk of cucumber being masticated and he'd been talking around it. Ah; explanations.


"Cool." I smiled, rinsing off the last plate and pulling the plug from the sink.




I was still drying up when he slid his manwhich into his bag along with a bottle of juice.
"I get off around 4 today. You still planning on swing by and checking on Bree?"


I nodded "Want me to text you before I leave?"


"Sounds good." he kissed me on the cheek "See ya later." 
and he was gone. 


The pot in my hand reflected back my own smile, and I tried to remember the last time he left for work on such good terms with me. 
I should nearly kill him more often...
Being open with him had cleared the air more than I'd realised. Things were really starting to look up...


-------------------------------------------------------------------------  Part 6

Random piece - Witch Way Round? - part 4

The walk to Kali's house took longer than usual. I was dawdling.
Like two little kids, Lee and I walked up to the house hand in hand.

Kali and Bree had been renting a three bedroom house off Charles Street for a month now - their flat had been decimated by a rampaging demon that Half-light had sent to play during a circle. I'd been there - it was the first attack I ever witnessed. Put me off summoning demons forever (not that I'd needed the discouragement). The new house was nice, very big - too big for just the two of them really - but it allowed for us to hold full coven circles in their new living room now; upside to everything I guess.

The house stood alone, surrounded by semi-detached homes. It had once been two small semi-detached's, but the previous owner had knocked through the adjoining walls to make it one big happy family home. I wondered what he would think of there only being two people living there now. I decided he probably wouldn't care.
They loved it because the garden went all the way round. You could have a circle outside the house and inside the house at the same time! Apparently that's a big deal. I still don't get it, personally... but hey.

I'd held Lee's hand all the way here, feeling like I was leading a lamb to slaughter.
I'd tried to explain why he shouldn't come; how they'd drag him into this mess like they did me... but he's more stubborn than me at times. Wouldn't listen to a word I said. For the first time ever, I had been hoping that work would call and drag him into work on his day off. Anything to keep him away from Kali and circle White Dawn. I could feel my feet slowing down as we approached the house.

Even with two front doors, you could tell straight away that it was one house. The garden didn't have a divide down the middle, that helped. In fact, if you added a chimney and took one of the doors away it looked just like the houses I used to draw as a little girl. There was even the big tree looming over us in the garden. Only two storeys high, its windows were dressed with the lace that the landlord had picked out. They had been lucky to find anywhere fully furnished that they could move straight into as quickly as they did, so they put up with the bad decorating. I don't know if I'd have been able to do the same. I'd at least have taken the frilly net curtains down.

A muscle was jumping in Lee's cheek, almost unnoticeable - unless you were looking for it. It always did that little flick when he was struggling to control his emotions. The amount of times I'd seen that little movement and had to step in to calm a situation before it got out of hand. No one else ever seemed to notice when they were pushing him too far until it was too late.
He was smiling, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Nervous. His fingers tightened ever so slightly around mine, and I squeezed back.

"You sure about this?" I asked, knowing even as I opened my mouth that it was more likely set an edge to his determination. Offer that man an out and he was bound to stay.

He nodded, the smile spreading across his face like a light. His eyes glinted with just a touch of mischief.
"You know I'm dying to see their granny curtains now." He said, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Like I say - stubborn.

I couldn't help the little giggle though. Kali had to be the most fashionable person I knew, always dressed perfectly, with make up and hair to match. Very chic. She wouldn't like that Lee's first impression of her was that of 'granny curtains'. I could just picture her face now if he took one look at her, flashed that cheeky grin and told her he liked her curtains...
His grin was turning into a little laugh of its own. We must have looked like two naughty little school kids. Some things never change. Though, at six foot three no one really thought of Lee as little any more.

"Come on then. Time to face the music." I sighed, using my free hand to open their front gate, the last of our laughter lingering at the corners of our mouths. "Remember to try and keep a lid on your energies." I added for what must have been the hundredth time.

He'd been drilling me on spells and people and politics all day, and I had been drilling him on containing his magic and getting him to practice masking it. I knew it was pointless, but I was willing to try anything. Worth a try, right?
He rolled his eyes at me, and I felt a slight tug against my skin as his aura retracted. We'd never been touching when he tried it before. I'd never realised our aura's overlapped like that when we touched. It was like the thing that made him him had been spread out over me while we were close, and he'd suddenly taken it away like a blanket. It felt wrong, but it was a good sign. In fact, if I was noticing it this much, it might actually work... if he could keep it up.

"What's up?" he asked, looking me in the eyes as we walked up the little garden path. The surprise and hurt I had felt as he withdrew like that must have shown in my eyes.

"Nothing!" I shook my head smiling "It's just weird. I can't feel you. It's like you're normal... I just wasn't expecting to feel it..." I shook my head again to try and dispel the feeling.
Concern flared in his eyes briefly.
"You're just a good student is all." I added, smiling up at him. The concern was quickly replaced by embarrassed pride.

"You're a good teacher."

The door opened before I knocked. Kali always liked to appear psychic. I'd learnt the intrusion spell though, and, unfortunately for her, I'd warned Lee that it was one she liked to use a lot. As much as I like Kali, she's all show.
Right now the show was a good one. Knowing Lee was on the way, she had put more effort than usual into her appearance. Black leather trousers hugged her curvaceous legs, a deep red top hung from her shoulders, dripping over her breasts and clinging to her tight waist. The sleeves were sliced open from shoulder to forearm, showing creamy skin through the deep openings. A silver pentagram hung against her chest, drawing attention to the hidden curves there.
Her dark hair flicked around her like raven feathers, and I found myself wondering how she kept it from sticking to her glossy deep red lips. The lipstick matched the top and her nails. I half expected her to have red contacts in, just to match. It wouldn't be the first time. But her brown eyes smiled out at us. Her black high heeled boots set the outfit off perfectly. Any man would have rolled over and barked for her. All she needed was a riding crop.

I sneaked a peek at Lee's face, and was pleased to see he was unaffected. An easy smile greeted her. No surprise (unless you counted his eyebrows being fractionally higher than they had been), no real sign of being impressed, not even the hint of lust I has been expecting. Then again, bad girls were more my thing than his - Lee was always more into the innocent girls, damsels in distress... blondes. There was nothing innocent about Kali's appearance. It screamed sex.

"Well, well, well." she purred, elongating her body against the door as she held it open "This must be the elusive Doctor we've heard so much about."
Her eyes roved over his body, her tongue running over her bottom lip slowly as she took in the narrow, muscular lines under his loose clothing. His arms were impressively muscular and uncovered in the summer warmth, but here and there, I knew, his top clung to an impressive torso, and I could tell from the flash of teeth the exact moment that she found the gap between jeans and t-shirt which flashed lightly tanned skin, the slight indent of the bottom of his six pack and the line of his hip leading provocatively below his slipping waistband.

My jaw set as I realised she was attempting to undress him with her eyes. His free hand raised to his hair and he gave an embarrassed laugh. He looked like an anime character - but all Kali seemed able to focus on was the expanse of flesh now on display.
"How's Bree?" I asked, bringing an abrupt end to the flirtatious look.

Maybe it was mean, but I couldn't help feeling a little satisfied as her face fell. That sexual energy dissipated instantly. Her eyes dropped to the floor and she made a painful little gesture - somewhere between a nod and a shrug.
"She's... okay." She opened the door a little more and stepped to the side "Come in," she managed a smile. It was more human this time, real and hopeful "She'll be pleased that you're here."

"She's awake?" I couldn't hide the surprise and excitement in my voice.

Kali's smile grew and she nodded. Her eyes were slightly shinier than usual, and I had the feeling she might cry. Relief shone there.

"That's excellent!" Lee smiled, squeezing my hand without thinking. His voice was filled with so much relief and excitement that it made Kali's eyes widen in that way that says "thank you" or "wow - I didn't know you cared"
It made me smile. He may be containing his energies, but his heart was still on his sleeve. They'd love him even if they couldn't tell he was a witch.

I gave his hand a quick squeeze then gestured for him to go through, slipping my hand out of his gently. I wanted to remind him to concentrate and not let his barriers slip, but I couldn't. Oh well, time to play with fire and try not to get burnt.
I could tell from the energy levels in the house that Tanya and Marcus were still here. Were they still working on her? Goddess, I hoped not.
From my position behind Lee I could see the hair on his neck bristle as he crossed the threshold. Yeah, the Priest and Priestess could do that. The air was thick with magic from all of the healing spells of the night before, and I felt my own magic raise up to counter it. I hoped against hope that Lee's wouldn't flare up too; you never know, with him being all clamped down it might not affect him too much.
Kali raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me. I blushed.

As she closed the door behind me she whispered in my ear very softly "I know it's a lot, but try not to let your defences up so much - you'll blow someone up!"
My blush deepened and I nodded, collecting myself as well as I should. After practicing with Lee all afternoon I could probably lock my energy so deep inside that I'd seem like a corpse. I didn't want them knowing that though, so I bottled it as well as they probably thought I could.
They had a tendency to treat me like a loose cannon.
I probably appeared that way to them a lot. Couldn't hurt to keep up appearances.

Lee reached out for my hand. His cheek was ticking ever so slightly. I took his hand automatically, without thinking what it must look like.
Kali's eyebrow raised again.
I had explained again and again to her that there was nothing between Lee and I - she never did believe me though. That finely etched eyebrow told me she wasn't fooled by my words in the slightest.


This could be fun a sarcastic voice in my head remarked.

The hallway we stood in was quite bare, the walls freshly painted a simple magenta - a great improvement on the hideous floral print that had adorned it previously. I hadn't even noticed the change when we got there last night with Bree. The stairs this side of the house had been removed to make for a large open plan hall with a balcony. The wall had been left intact here though, only an archway further along gave entrance to that side of the house. It was the side of the house dedicated to rest and relaxation - the living room took up the entire ground floor, minus the stair case of course.

Kali moved ahead of us, indicating we should follow her. Though, in all honesty, I may as well have been invisible. Her attention was entirely his again. As she turned away from her we were treated to large stretch of bare back. The top fell in an open V down to the base of her spine, showing off her body art. The way her hips swayed as she sauntered before us, and the pale stretch of skin, was certainly more likely to be a display for his benefit rather than mine.
As much of an oddity as I was - "raw, powerful and dangerous" was her description - Kali had never felt the urge to seduce me. I didn't know whether to be offended or flattered.

Lee's hand was getting sweaty in mine, but for once he didn't let go and wipe his hand down his trouser leg.
Could he really be that nervous?

"Just through here." Kali's voice was as supple as her swaying buttocks, and smooth as honey. Surely he couldn't be oblivious to it?
I risked a glance at his face. It seemed open enough, a slight smile playing on his lips easily. The tick was still there as he turned though, showing that his jaw was a lot tenser than it looked. He had this ability to tense his jaw without clamping it down. I should get him to teach me to do it, I could do with knowing how to keep a straighter face.

Kali slid herself gracefully through the archway into the old fashioned living room. The re-decorating hadn't extended into this room yet. Lavender blossomed on each of the walls as if it were some odd ivy hybrid, an off green carpet looking more like bile than any grass I'd ever seen still lay lifeless on the floor. The furniture was a little better, but not much. It was an off white leather set of chairs and a nice three seater sofa. I'd say it was cream, but it looked more grey than white.
I knew for a fact that Bree had tried everything short of magic to get that thing white, and it still remained a stubborn dirty chewing gum colour. There was a single coffee table in the centre of the room and a cupboard against one wall. The lack of furniture helped when we wanted to hold big circles here. Just move it to the edges of the room and you had plenty of room for twenty or so people to stand side by side.

Lee took it all in with a quick glance as we entered the room. The glance ended on the old floral curtains. They were the sort that clash with anything and everything in any room you put them in. I would have smiled, or laughed, but I caught sight of Bree's blonde head resting on the sofa. I was about to run to her side when I felt the gaze of the high Priest and Priestess move over me and onto Lee.
I was frozen in place for a second.

Tanya is the sort of person you don't run in front of. Her long white blonde hair falls in soft waves around her perfect heart-shaped face, her crystal eyes are framed by long dark lashes that I swear don't go. She always dresses in soft pastel colours and looks a little like a princess or a fairy. Still, something in the way she held herself always screamed 'head mistress' to me. At nearly forty years old, she probably could have been a head mistress. In all honesty, I had no idea what her, or her twin brother Marcus, did for a living.
Marcus hadn't retained the white blondness his sister had, instead his hair looked very light brown, only a shade or two darker than my own hair. His face was a lot more angular than hers too, though it still came to the same pointed chin as hers did. The eyes were green, like leaves with the sun shining through them, unlike the almost white blue the ice-princess sported, and he always seemed to be in deep greens. Now he had on a dark green shirt with dark jeans that could have been any colour.
Both of them carried their auras like crowns, never holding back on their energies. It was slightly intimidating at times.

Looking at them, you got the impression of two seventeen-year-olds. It was only when you really looked that you realised they were older. Much older.

Kali had moved to the farthest end of the sofa and perched next to Bree's feet. It was the end closest to Tanya, who sat with her feet tucked up under her and to the side. Marcus was on her right, feet planted firmly on the ground with his knees comfortably wide.
Kali was 24, just a couple years older than me and Lee. At that moment, she looked very old though. Like a mother, comforting her ill child.

Since no one else was going to, I figured I'd best introduce everyone. Anything to break the silence enough to let me go to Bree.
"Lee, this is Tanya and Marcus." I made it sound like they were one - but that's how they worked. A team. I gestured to the two figures in the armchairs, then back to my side where Lee still stood still "Marcus, Tanya, this is Lee."

I'm not great at introductions - especially when everyone has already been told in private who everyone else is. It's still polite to formally introduce them though, so they can talk without any awkward doubts about whether the other person knows who they're talking to, or that they're known.

Tanya and Marcus both inclined their heads at Lee in synchronisation. Not too much, mind, lest their crowns might slip. Lee bowed to them both.
I'm not joking. He actually bowed. Like a courtier.
I tried not to smile, but I could feel myself admitting that Lee's presence alone made me feel better about the whole thing. He'd be able to make me laugh in the worst of situations, whether he meant to or not.

The best part was, he wasn't being ironic. He had just naturally assumed it was polite to bow to them.

"Come meet Bree." I managed to say around the smile.

I dragged him forwards into the room, and dropped to my knees by the sofa, releasing his hand.
He stepped over my feet and knelt by my side. I had knelt by her head without thinking about it, so he had had to go round me in order to see her without looking down at her. He hadn't even hesitated.
My hand gently pushed her hair off her face. She wasn't burning up, like I had been expecting, but there was still a faint trace of a spell on her. A slow acting one that would be still healing her for a day or two, if I was analysing it correctly.
"Hey Bree," I murmured "I brought a friend to meet you."

It was that gentle way of speaking to people that you adopt in a hospital or a nursing home. The voice you use to people you don't believe can hear you, or understand you.
Her eyes fluttered open slightly, her head turning towards the sound of my voice. They seemed unfocused, but after a second she smiled at me, and I felt a returning smile spread on my own face.
We held eye contact for a moment then I looked towards Lee, and she followed my eyes.

"Bree, I'd like you to meet Leigh-John."

He smiled at her with all the warmth of a summers day and just a glimpse of perfect teeth.
"Hello Bree." He said, his voice deeper and softer than it had been moments ago. Gentle, with the promise of heat. He took her hand softly in one of his.

Bree is 23, five foot six, small and well shaped. Her face is the sort you find in old paintings of angels, and her ruffled long blonde hair just adds to that effect. Her eyes are that soft but vibrant blue that makes you think of cloudless skies and warm summery seas.
In a word, she's beautiful.
No one normally notices it, because hers is a gentle, untouched beauty; it gets lost beside the flamboyant voluptuousness of Kali. Lee was noticing though.
I'd find it sweet, but if there's one thing worse than a flirtatious Kali, it's a jealous one.

"Hello." Bree's voice came out as a whisper. I couldn't tell if she was horse from our latest escapade, or whether Lee had taken her breath away. It was even money either way.
That voice had been known to melt hearts made of stone. What on earth it would do to normal one, I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

There wasn't the usual power behind it, so he was still keeping a lid on himself - that was nice to know.
Not that it needed the full force of his personality behind it.

"How are you feeling?" Lee and I asked at the same time, exchanged a glance then snorted.
Tanya and Marcus weren't the only twins in the room any more.

Bree smiled down at us both.
"O-k." she managed to say.

I sighed.
This was going to end badly.

I could feel Lee's urge to explore her injuries and heal her building like water behind a dam. If he did that... well, goodbye element of surprise - not to mention the element of safety. Circle Half-light would be wanting the new shiny toy (formerly known as Leigh-John) and Circle White Dawn would be grooming him into a weapon.
I touched his leg discreetly and he loosened his grip on Bree ever so slightly. Enough to let me know he understood and was in control of himself.

It was torture, because part of me wanted Lee to heal her. I knew that Tanya, our best healer, had been working all night on her... but I was so used to Lee fixing everything. It was his roll in our friendship - I broke things and he fixed them. Okay, slight exaggeration - but everyone came to Lee to be fixed. All of our friends used him as the super Doctor, first port of call if anything was wrong. It seemed only natural to have him heal Bree. Especially since she clearly could do with some more help.

"We spent most of the night just extracting poison." Marcus said to our right. Marcus is normally silent, unless he's conducting our circle. Tanya does all of the talking outside of circles.
It felt like a criticism, and I blushed. If I had thought to extract the venom from the wound before stopping the bleeding their work would have been a hell of a lot easier.

"I should have..." I started, but couldn't finish. Emotion was blocking my throat. The floor swam before my eyes as tears started to form. Damn it! I would not cry... I wouldn't! This was not my fault.

"Yes. You should." Marcus said, but his voice was soft and far gentler than I'd ever heard it before. "But you did not know that. We are all very proud of your quick actions."
My head snapped up to look at him. Shock nearly stopped my brief tears in their tracks.
For Marcus that was a huge compliment. In fact, it was the first compliment I'd ever received from him.
He was smiling at me. His elbows rested on the arms of his chair, but his fingers were touching lightly in front of his mouth. I was accustomed to him looking darkly over that steeple of flesh, looking like a younger and much realer Mr. Burns. All he needed was a phrase like "Excellent" or "Release the hounds". That smile totally transformed the gesture. It looked like he was holding back from giving me a hug.

My mouth must have been hanging nearly open, because I found myself closing my mouth a moment later to return the smile.
"I'll remember next time." I told him, determination flashing in my eyes.
Because there would be a 'next time'. There was no denying that. There was always going to be a 'next time'. I was starting to understand that now.

He gave a nod. It was pleased, and sad at the same time. Sad that there would be a next time?
I hoped he was pleased at my determination, but with that fathomless mask he called a face I couldn't even guess. Only hope.


We only stayed an hour, but it was long enough.
Bree wasn't up for much talking, and with the Priest and Priestess there, none of us really felt talkative. They had that effect on most people.
It was hardest on Lee to sit around with a patient so close and not attempt to help her, more over - to not even show that he wanted to or that he could.

"I wish I could help." He said part way through our visit.
She had smiled sweetly but condescendingly at him then. She knew he was a doctor in training, they all did - but they thought he was the 'prescribe something' kind of doctor. Not a hands on healer like them. They didn't have much respect for doctors; much the same as doctors don't seem to have much respect for voodoo priests or faith healers. One man's cure was another man's parlour tricks I supposed.

The cheeky sod had got me to channel his conscious a little later though.

No one was paying him much attention. Kali had decided to leave seduction until her partner wasn't laying ill next to her - something I thought was very decent of her - and Tanya and Marcus felt nothing interesting from him. All they noticed was a slight change in my aura whenever we touched, and they - like Kali - put that down to infatuation. Bree was too in and out of consciousness to really pay attention to anyone.
So when I had asked to 'try something' I had been given that look from all of them - you know, that look you give little kids when they want to try something cute like kissing a wound better, or giving the afflicted a favourite teddy to cuddle. The look that says "It won't help, but I guess it can't hurt. It's quite sweet of you to try really". Like I say, condescending bunch... but they'd let me try anyway. Trusting bunch too.

No one noticed Lee close his eyes with me, or that he was still holding my hand. I couldn't believe no one felt the little rush of energy that went from him, through me, and into Bree. But then there's none so blind as those who see what they want to.
He had only poked around here and there. Seen what was wrong, what was healing, what needed doing. He'd never channelled through me like that before, it was strange being able to see the body's internal workings like that.

We swam round her circulatory system, following the blood flow here and there. Stopping off at major organs and taking a look at the tissue in detail as well as the whole organ with almost the detail of an MRI scan. Feeling where the poison had been and still was in places. That's what the latent spell was for - to suppress and remove the last of the shifter venom. I could feel his summations - too little blood, the marrow needed stimulating a little more; bit of fluid on the lungs could do with clearing off; fracture in the rib needs fixing; slight liver damage...
I need to take her hand and do it myself - I can only view it from this perspective. His voice was in my head, and I wanted to know how we had never worked out that we could do this before. His frustration was palpable.

Could you direct me to do it? I asked him, not sure if he could hear my thoughts in return, or whether I was just picking his up while he channelled through me.

I'm not sure... try to stimulate her marrow - it's the most important right now. Came the response.

Great... how do I do that? I thought to myself, focusing on the bones, feeling my way into the marrow. He was right, there was a difference between seeing and affecting.

You just have to feel it. It felt like he was shrugging, though I could feel he was quite still beside me.

You'll have to move and pretend you're not looking insider her, or they'll get suspicious.
I'd only just realised it, but he knew I was right. He opened his eyes, and looked at me, as if he were interested in what I was doing.

The marrow was already making blood, but it wasn't making much. I vaguely remembered something about the marrow not being the main source of red blood cells. But Lee had said to do it this way. I trusted him.
Okay... let's... try... I felt myself push slightly, almost rubbing the marrow.
Come on... make some more... I encouraged it. Something seemed to speed up a little. I couldn't really tell if it was making more or not. I was about to try again when there was a slight tug against me.

Not too much!

So it had worked.
Okay, liver next? I asked, already trying to retrace my steps to it. Lee had swam around the body in seconds, assessing damage and deciding on a course of action. It was as if a thought had taken him instantly to what he wanted. Apparently it wasn't that easy. He just made it look it.
I felt a nudge as he guided me in the right direction.
He had said it was damaged, but I had no idea what was wrong or what needed doing.

You've got to feel it. Not like prodding or poking; just feel it. What feels right, what feels wrong?
He was nearly as cryptic as Mr Miyagi. Next he'd be telling me that the answer only mattered if I asked the right question. But I took a deep breath and tried to follow his advice.

We'd left it after the liver. I was getting frustrated. He found this stuff so easy, but it was really hard for me. Getting the right bits to do the right thing. What a nightmare.

Sitting back on my heals I'd felt exhausted from the sheer concentration. My energy levels were fine in comparison to Psi-ball Training 101. So they should be, I'd done hardly anything. But I'd never concentrated that hard for that long before.
I was disappointed at her lack of recovery, but I'm not a healer, so it would have been suspicious if she was better. Lee seemed to sense my disappointment, because he gave my leg a little squeeze.
I'd managed a weak smile, but there was a headache forming behind my eyes. Thinking actually hurts.
What can I say? I'm blonde.

When we left I was half tempted to join Lee in bowing to Tanya and Marcus, but after actually having them speak to me like a real person I felt it was better to just say goodbye.
Bree was asleep when we left, Kali was snuggled up to her stroking her hair. It was nice to see her being loving. It was a rare and somehow private sight. Without realising it Lee's presence had soothed them all. Even Marcus and Tanya had lowered the intensity of their aura's towards the end of our visit.
How he does that I have no idea. Magic? Naaaw

We saw ourselves out so Kali could stay where she was. She didn't seem to mind, though I had the feeling she took the opportunity to watch Lee's bum as he left the room.
Lee held his aura in till we got away from Charles street, then I felt him give a sigh of relief and let out the excess again. Kind of like sucking your gut in. The golden warmth that was Lee slowly spread over me again and I felt my own relief flood through me.
Our hands drifted apart once we could feel each other properly again. We had stayed in contact with each other almost the entire time we were inside, neither of us really liked not feeling the other close by. It was something we'd never done before. Now I realised it was because we always had a sense of the other person. It was better than holding hands.

"So what did you think?" I asked, not sure where to begin.

"Loved the curtains." He replied.
All our nerves poured out in hysterical giggles. We were both practically bent over laughing.

"Oh-my-god! Did you see what Kali was wearing!?" He asked. So he had noticed.
We were both still laughing, all I could do was nod like some crazy puppet, barely able to breath.
"I thought she was going to eat me alive!"
I was trying to wipe tears out of my eyes so I could see straight
"And those two in their thrones! Jesus!"
I fell into him and we collapsed against a nearby wall in a heap of laughter.

Once we had calmed down I hugged him, tight.
"Goddess, it's been a bore without you." I said into his chest.

He stroked my hair and I felt him shake his head.
"How the hell have you been dealing with it?" He spoke quietly. There was sympathy and regret laced into his voice and I wanted to tell him I'd been fine on my own, thank you very much!
But it was a lie.

"I don't know." I admitted.

He gave me a big squeeze "Jeeze, Lilly, what have you gotten us into this time?"
I shrugged in his arms as an apology.
His arm lingered over my shoulders as we started to walk again. It was an easy gesture, what with him being over half a foot taller than me. Lanky git. His armpit rested on my shoulder, and I let my hand sneak round to hook in one of his belt loops.
We survived! I thought, with genuine relief.

"Come on, let's get you home." He said, giving my shoulder an extra squeeze.

"Bacon?" I asked

"Pfft - woman! After that I deserve a Roast Dinner!"

We laughed. One thing was sure - a cup of tea was definitely on the menu.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 5